GOOD NIGHT, LITTLE BOOKSTORE

An independent bookstore closes for the evening.

At the Little Bookstore, on Little Street, a tiny customer reaches for a picture book, while another snuggles a large teddy bear. The door chimes, and the register rings. Visiting dogs, the bookstore cat, and a forgotten hat and pair of glasses all get wished a good night as readers get a peek behind the scenes at the work booksellers do to prepare for opening the next day. New titles in boxes to be put out for display, stacks of books that were perused and need to be reshelved, and bags of recycling all receive a good night, too, as the evening’s duties are completed and the door locked. One of the final spreads makes it clear it’s “good night” not just to the Little Bookstore on Little Street, but to little bookstores all over the world as various stores are pictured with their names in different languages. The artwork has beautifully established details. From the titles of the many, many books showcased on shelves, in boxes, and in the hands of readers to the textured hair of the diverse characters throughout the story, there are little bits of nuanced representation that show that bookstores are for every person and every interest—though, with its basic rhyme structure, the book doesn’t build on its Goodnight Moon muse. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A sweet but formulaic ode to indie bookstores.