20 Years, 20 Great Books: Books to Treasure, A Tulsa Tradition

Twenty years ago this fall, the Tulsa City-County Library (TCCL) entered into a partnership with the Anne and Henry Zarrow Foundation to create something completely new, completely unique and completely focused on supporting children’s love of reading through their love of art: Books to Treasure.

We’re celebrating two decades of finding outstanding children’s book illustrators, bringing them to Tulsa, and sharing their work with free books and special library cards for each year’s group of lucky second graders. In addition, illustrators visit some schools, and teachers and parents can access lesson plans at tulsalibrary.org/BooksToTreasure.

This year, the inestimable Ben Clanton, creator of the popular Narwhal & Jelly graphic novel series as well as numerous other hilarious and heartfelt picture books, will be in Tulsa to talk about his work, share stories and pictures, and sign books.

But he’s just the latest in a long line of wonderful Books to Treasure illustrators.

Here are some of our favorite Books to Treasure books (and newer books by Books to Treasure illustrators).

The Book That Started It All

In 2003, Marla Frazee and her kinetic masterpiece Roller Coaster launched Books To Treasure – and a tradition of TCCL’s children’s librarians and staff creating lesson plans based on the featured illustrators’ works.

Newbery Winners, Thank You Very Much

Books to Treasure focuses on visual storytelling and the outstanding artists behind picture book illustrations, but many of our illustrators are also writers, and they tend to rack up awards for their written work as well. Two former Books to Treasure illustrators have had books that were winners of the top award in children’s literature, the Newbery. Our 2011 illustrator Grace Lin’s chapter book Where the Mountain Meets the Moon was a Newbery Honor book, and our 2019 illustrator Christian Robinson’s Last Stop on Market Street won the top Newbery Medal in 2016. (While Christian did not write the words – that would be Matt de la Peña – the story was from his childhood.)

Grace Lin’s Books to Treasure book was Lissy’s Friends, a beautiful and humorous meditation on making friends. (Sometimes, you can literally make friends by folding paper – origami! – and then make friends who like origami. Brilliant!)

And the 2019 Christian Robinson book? Gaston, about a dog discovering that he might not be the same as his siblings but still belonged in all of the important ways.

Hometown Heroes, Oklahoma Stars

In 2007, Tulsa native Floyd Cooper returned to his hometown for Books to Treasure, sharing his book I Have Heard of a Land, a historical tale of an African-American pioneer woman in Oklahoma territory. Sadly, Floyd died in 2021, but not before illustrating the extraordinary historical picture book Unspeakable: The Tulsa Race Massacre (written by Carole Boston Weatherford).

Ten years later, another Oklahoma star, Ada resident Hannah E. Harrison, shared her book Extraordinary Jane with excited Tulsa fans. Full of intricate drawings of circus animals.

L. Raphael’s Favorite: Rafael L.

I have had the pleasure of working with Books to Treasure for more than a decade, first as a Youth Librarian and, since 2016, as the program coordinator. All Books to Treasure illustrators have been my favorites, but my favorite favorite is Rafael Lopez (2016), and not just because we share a similar name. He was generous and kind, and he spent hours drawing little doodles in every child’s book at the book signing. (We had to hurry him up so that everyone could get out of the library before midnight!)

Rafael Lopez poses with Tulsa City-County Library children’s staff (Laura Raphael is the one in glasses behind Rafael, smiling like a fool because he was such a delightful person, she says).

Rafael’s book, Tito Puente, Mambo King, is a masterpiece of color, energy and music (his illustrations really sing), but two more recent books – The Day You Begin and Book Fiesta – are also feasts for the eye and heart. Not only has Rafael’s artwork been featured on stamps for the U.S. Postal Service, he’s had murals and paintings displayed around the world, including at one of Oprah Winfrey’s schools in South Africa.

Best Book to Cosplay

Finally, although we weren’t able to host our 2020 illustrator Zachariah OHora in person (remember 2020?), his book Bear! inspired the BEST costumes from children’s librarians Alex Gates and Melody Palmer.

Alex Gates

Melody Palmer

Books to Treasure 2023

Meet illustrator Ben Clanton (characters Narwhal & Jelly might make an appearance, too)

Friday, Nov. 10, 6 p.m.

Hardesty Regional Library

For information about all Books to Treasure, go to tulsalibrary.org/BooksToTreasure