Blue Manatee Children's Bookstore and Decafe, Cincinnati

In March this year I visited Blue Manatee Children's Bookstore and Decafe in Cincinnati, Ohio.  The store is located in Oakley Square on a block referred to by the locals as Kid's Row.  Along with the bookstore and coffee shop, the block boasts an amazing toy store, an old fashioned ice cream and candy shop, and a boutique children's clothing shop.   The drive from downtown Cincinnati to Oakley Square is short, and the area is lovely.  There is ample parking right beside the Blue Manatee store.

It's easy to see why Blue Manatee Children's Bookstore and Decafe has been voted the Best Non-Chain Bookstore in Cincinnati every year since 2006.   The store is large enough to offer a great many books but small enough to feel cozy and charming.  The displays are artistic and vibrant, attractive to parents and children alike. 

Throughout the store, there are engaging areas for children to plop down and read.

Honestly, though, the first thing I noticed right away were the walls.  What is all over them?  Look closer and you will discover authentic signatures, messages, and drawings left by authors and illustrators who have visited the store and left notes for the owners and customers.  

I had to find out more about the walls.  Turns out, there's an amazing story behind those walls and the bookstore itself.   

In 1989, a bookstore opened in that same spot called The Blue Marble.  In 2000, like many independent bookstores across the nation, The Blue Marble announced its closing.  Local residents were saddened by the news.  But two longtime customers, pediatrician turned novelist John Hutton and Montessori school teacher turned sculptor Sandy Gross, decided they could not bear to see the demise of "The Wall" and the bookstore.  Without lawyers, the couple wrote a one-page $5,000 buyout of the former bookstore's owner.  The contract was signed in green crayon.

The new owners renamed the bookstore The Blue Manatee and invested $40,000 in paint, carpet, shelves, computers, and an inventory of 10,000 volumes.  When they first bought the store, Ms. Gross said:  "It's not about making money.  We see it as a mission."  Why name a bookstore after a manatee?  Dr. Hutton explains that independent bookstores, like manatees, are an endangered species.   They are "sanctuaries of quality, whimsy, and inspiration, places where kids, parents, and the young-at-heart can go, slow down, and spend some quality time together," says Hutton.

In 2005, Dr. Hutton and Ms. Gross boarded up an office and turned that space into the decafe.  The decafe is a treat in its own right.  Shadow boxes containing eclectic items double as tables, inviting customers to pass the time by playing games or by making up stories based on the items in the boxes.  After buying our books and drinks, my children and I very much enjoyed several rounds of "I Spy," and some of the unusual shadow box items led to interesting discussions of history and the like. 

Blue Manatee Children's Bookstore and Decafe has won more awards than I can list here.  Dr. Hutton is a recognized figure in promoting more reading and outside time for kids and less time with technology.  Learn more about his efforts along those lines here and here.

Our time at Blue Manatee Children's Bookstore and Decafe was nothing short of wonderful.  I encourage anyone who has the opportunity to visit and experience this delightful place.