> At a Glance
> – Social media literacy advocate Mychal Threets publishes debut picture book I’m So Happy You’re Here: A Celebration of Library Joy on February 3
> – The book features diverse characters finding acceptance at the library
> – Threets hosts Reading Rainbow reboot and reaches 1 million+ followers
> – Why it matters: Threets wants every child to feel they belong in libraries-and everywhere else
From Fairfield library kid to viral “Mychal the Librarian,” Mychal Threets now channels his love of books into a picture book that mirrors the safe space that raised him.
From Library Kid to Author
Growing up in Fairfield, California, Threets and his siblings read for an hour daily, a tradition rooted in family history: his paternal grandparents, denied library cards in segregated Alabama, urged their descendants to seize every page.
> “I was that kid who always had a book with me,” Threets tells News Of Los Angeles.
Classics by Louis Sachar, Beverly Cleary, and R.L. Stine filled his backpack; the Fairfield Civic Center Library filled his need for acceptance.
> “The library said it’s okay to lack the confidence,” he recalls. “You can just be who you are right now.”
Viral Videos Spark New Chapter
In 2020 Threets began posting feel-good patron stories as “Mychal the Librarian.” A single August 2023 clip exploded, catapulting him past 1 million followers and into a 2024 PBS Resident Librarian role.
| Platform | Role | Year |
|---|---|---|
| TikTok/Instagram | Literacy storyteller | 2020 |
| PBS | Resident Librarian | 2024 |
| YouTube | Reading Rainbow host | 2025 |
The four-episode Reading Rainbow reboot premiered fall 2025, making Threets the new face of reading joy for a generation raised on screens.
Inside the Book
Illustrated by Lorraine Nam, I’m So Happy You’re Here shows kids of every background-blind readers using braille, unhoused children, kids with two dads, grandchildren with abuela-claiming library space.
Threets hopes the book lands in tiny hands early.
> “I would love for this to be one of the first books kids ever read by themselves,” he says.
Key Takeaways
- Threets’ debut picture book arrives February 3 via Random House
- The story champions libraries as inclusive havens
- A nationwide tour kicks off the same day in Brooklyn
- The message: once you know you belong in the library, you’ll believe you belong everywhere
