To attract kids, and turn them into lifelong readers and library users, it’s hardly surprising that libraries are building spaces as creative and playful as their youngest patrons. Unleash your imagination with this selection of childrens’ sections.

The expansion of Brentwood (Tenn.) Public Library increased the size of the children’s library considerably. Styled as a park, the theming includes trees, nature murals, woodland animals, and a fantasyland of books. An animated owl in one of the trees greets visitors, and a flat screen adjacent to the story room tells the story of the area’s Native Americans.

Architect: Earl Swensson Associates

Photo: Kyle Dreier Photography