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How Libraries Can Use The Little Thesis

By Angel Reyes, Founder & Research Methodologist 4 min read

TL;DR

The Little Thesis is a 100-page coloring book that walks children ages 4 to 8 through the six steps of research, one chapter per step. That structure makes it easy to plug into library storytime, STEM programs, displays, and summer reading. The whole book is free to read on this site, pages can be printed for free library programs, and the paperback is available on Amazon for your collection.

Add The Little Thesis to Your Collection

Why a Research Coloring Book Fits a Library

Libraries already teach research. Every time a child asks where to find a book about sharks, someone at the desk is teaching them how to look things up. The Little Thesis gives very young children a story version of that same process, with coloring as the way in.

The book is organized into six chapters, and each chapter covers one research step:

Chapter 2 is the one most libraries will want to start with. Professor Hoot reads inside a tree library on page 11, and the whole chapter is about learning from books and sources before starting your own work. That is a library's mission, told at a four year old's level.

Storytime

A chapter makes a good storytime extension. Here is one simple way to run it:

  1. Read a picture book first. Pick one from Professor Hoot's Library Guide, which pairs children's books with each chapter.
  2. Show the matching chapter. Put the online reader on a screen or tablet and flip through a few pages of that chapter together.
  3. Color one page. Hand out a printed page from the same chapter. Each page on this site has its own address, from page 1 to page 100, and prints without menus or buttons.
  4. Ask one question. Use the "Talk about it while you color" questions on that page's web page, or ask, "What did the character in the book do that the Squad does too?"

This takes very little prep, and it works with a small group or a big one.

Longer Programs

Because the book has six chapters, it maps neatly onto programs that meet over several weeks. A few formats to consider:

  • A six-week research club. Cover one chapter per session and add a small hands-on activity, such as a nature walk for Chapter 1 or a simple tally chart for Chapter 5.
  • A summer reading challenge. Offer one chapter per week. Children who finish the book can color the Junior Researcher diploma on page 99 as their finish-line moment.
  • A science fair prep workshop. Use Chapter 3 to practice turning a question into an "if... then" guess, then Chapter 4 to plan a simple test.
  • A family STEM night. Set up six tables, one per chapter, with printed pages and a short activity at each.

For more group ideas, see How can I use the book with a co-op or a group of kids?. The same ideas work in a library program room.

Displays and Bulletin Boards

Printed and colored pages can go up in the library. A display might follow the six research steps in order, with a colored page and a one-line caption for each step. Placing books from Professor Hoot's list next to the matching chapter turns the display into a reading path: one book per research step.

If children color pages in a program and want them on the wall, that is covered too. Before posting finished pages, it is worth reading the privacy tips in Can we share our finished pages online? and asking families before any child's name or photo goes up.

Library Tablets and Public Computers

There is no ebook, PDF, or printable packet of The Little Thesis. Instead, the whole book is free to read in the online reader, which runs in a normal web browser. On a tablet, children can swipe to turn pages, tap chapter buttons to jump ahead, and use fullscreen so the page fills the screen. The web address changes as you flip, so you can bookmark a specific page for a program. The help article How do I use the online book reader? walks through the controls.

Printing Rules for Library Programs

The site's terms of use allow printing pages for free library programs and displaying printed pages in the library. If families pay a fee for a program, printing from the site is not covered. In that case, each child needs their own paperback, or you can ask the author for written permission. The details are in Can I print pages for my co-op or classroom?, and the printing steps are in How do I print a coloring page?.

Adding the Paperback to Your Collection

The paperback is sold only on Amazon. There is no separate bulk, classroom, or institutional pricing, so order the number of copies you need there. A circulating copy lets families keep going at home after a program, and the free online version means families without a copy can still follow along.

Research Skills Tie-Ins

The Little Thesis uses the same vocabulary many library research lessons use, simplified for young children. A few natural connections:

  • Sources. Chapter 2 introduces the idea that learning from others is not copying. It is how knowledge grows.
  • Asking good questions. Chapter 1 is all about noticing things and wondering why, which is where every reference question starts.
  • Checking work. Chapter 6 introduces peer review in kid terms. The post What Is Peer Review? explains how to talk about it.
  • Data. Chapter 5 shows charts and patterns, a good bridge to nonfiction books with graphs.

Frequently Asked Questions

These are practical questions a library might have before using The Little Thesis in its collection or programs: how to get copies, what printing is allowed, whether there is a digital version for tablets, who the book is for, and where to find discussion questions.

How can a library get copies of The Little Thesis? The paperback is sold only on Amazon, and there is no separate bulk or institutional pricing, so a library orders the number of copies it needs there. The whole book is also free to read on this website.

Can we print pages for a library program? Yes, if the program is free. The terms of use allow printing pages from the site for free library programs and displaying them in the library. If families pay a fee for the program, each child needs a paperback or you need the author's written permission. See printing for groups.

Is there a digital version for library tablets? There is no ebook, PDF, or printable packet. The whole book is free to read in the online reader on this website, which works on tablets with swipe, chapter buttons, and fullscreen.

What age group is it written for? The Little Thesis is written for ages 4 to 8. Younger children can join with a grown-up reading aloud, and older children can use the talk-about-it questions for deeper discussion.

Are there discussion questions we can use in a program? Yes. Every page on the site has its own "Talk about it while you color" questions, and the Teacher's Guide on the blog includes discussion ideas that also fit library programs.

Get The Little Thesis for Your Library

More from The Little Thesis Blog

If you are planning programs for children, these posts are practical companions to this one. Professor Hoot's guide gives you a picture book for each chapter, the Teacher's Guide maps out a six-week unit, and the classroom example shows what a research unit built on the book could look like.

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