NZ Visual Diary - entry 391

Unity Books - Little Unity

Last year, as Class3 students, my grandson and his classmates developed an insatiable appetite for fantasy-themed chapter books. As Class4 students, they have expressed an explosive interest in what librarians and the publishing world call young adult fiction. For my grandson, The 113th Assistant Librarian was his first foray into that world of literature and he has plunged head-long into the YA fantasy genre, the six-book series of Pages & Co. being his latest conquest.

His school’s library has been a reliable repository of his beloved reading genre. That said, my wife and I wanted to cultivate his interest in having a modest personal library of treasured tales. The children’s section — named Little Unity — of Unity Books has been our book shop of choice. The physical charm of the shop on High Street in Auckland Central echoes the warmth of the staff who assist bumbling grandfathers like myself who have lost that intimate connection from their own days of raising young readers and need assistance in finding the next great read.

With the highly stylised photograph of today’s entry, rich in layered textures, I have attempted to convey visually my love of a storied book shop in after-hours light, always a fantastical moment in the cycle of a day.