The Storyteller

10am Story time/​puppet show every Saturday for the little kids. It was very entertaining, the store was nice and clean, the staff was wonderfully friendly.

This is odd. I just noticed that the review I wrote for The Storyteller on 6÷1÷2013 has disappeared, so I’m reposting with an update. 12÷17÷14: I rarely write Unilocal reviews, so this is important to me. I still believe that The Storyteller is the best children’s bookstore in the East Bay. To find the store — take highway 24 onto the Oak Hill Rd. exit into Lafayette. Go down to the main street, Mt. Diablo Blvd., where you’ll see the main shopping area anchored by Safeway and Whole Foods. The store is in a back courtyard between Safeway and WF, behind Peet’s and Madison. Also, if you feel you haven’t had the treatment you think you deserved, I think the owner would appreciate your feedback. I’ve known her to value quality customer service.
My 6÷1÷2013 review: I’ve wanted to write this review for years. My kids are older and we still appreciate The Storyteller. If I could give it 6 stars, I would. The Storyteller is the best store for children’s books in the East Bay, San Francisco and Marin.
The quality starts with Linda Higham, a former teacher who has owned the store for over 20 years. Then it continues with her long time, helpful, and welcoming staff — including a children’s librarian, teachers, and a children’s book editor from San Francisco’s Chronicle Books — who are experts and current in their knowledge of children’s books. If you need ideas for reluctant or voracious readers for babies through young adults, the ST staff will have them in the store’s large, well-​organized selection of books, or get them quickly for you by order. Reading, writing and Junior Editor programs are offered each summer. What a contrast to the nearby big box store that requires hunting for a salesperson just to find a book! Some adult bestsellers, cards, and book-​related gifts are sold too. The staff’s service and expertise, as well as the books’ availability, are worth the money you spend.
Also, the store was recently moved to a bigger, well-​designed space — the perfect place to continue holding the author and illustrator book signings and events that the ST has been known for over decades. (Even JK Rowling did a signing at the ST when she published her first Harry Potter books years ago.) The Storyteller is easy to get to — it’s 5 minutes from Walnut Creek, right off the main exit into Lafayette, in the plaza behind the bank of stores next to Safeway. Highly recommend.

Found this store on Unilocal,but finding the actual store was SO HARD! It’s behind Whole Foods near McCallous. We had been driving up and down Mt. Diablo Blvd. for quite a while, finally called and got better directions. When we got there and tried to make suggestions about this, we were curtly dismissed. Not a good start.
This is a big bookstore, and they have a good selection of books.

The overall store is nice. The staff is more of the problem. Before the summer I would go in at least once a week and buy a book. The younger guy & lady would always be very nice and helpful. I hadn’t gone all summer but stopped in two weeks ago to get birthday gifts. I was in the store 20 minutes with no greeting nor offer of assistance. I had to listen to the two older ladies working talk about all the leaves that have fallen in their driveways. Another woman walks in and they abruptly end their conversation to greet her, offer assistance and suggest books. At one point one of the workers began to read the synopsis to the books to the other customer. Disgusted with what was going on I left without purchasing anything. I planned to go home and order from Amazon until I saw the local elementary school was having a bookfair. The only difference between the other customer and myself was the color of my skin. I swore I would never go back. I desperately wanted to get my daughter Orange is the new Black. I didn’t want to order online nor drive anyplace so I walked to the book store hoping for something different. Well I was wrong. Not only was I ignored entering the store, I was ignored even after I had picked up my book and was ready to pay. I had stood there for close to 5 minutes waiting to pay. I had to ask to pay for my book. I didn’t get a thank you, have a nice day or anything. The cashier was too busy apologizing to the customers behind me for the wait and calling another worker to help them check out. I know this is Lafayette but it is also 2014. Are blacks still unworthy of fair treatment. I have a family of 6 and we are all avid readers. A small business like that could certainly use my business. But instead will lose out to Amazon and Barnes & Noble because they don’t know how to treat people. I will never patronize this establishment again.

Nice! I like the idea of a kid themed bookstore. I didn’t poke around too much, but looked good. Not an ideal location for me — when I’m with my son, I’d be over the hill for books, but I’ll remember the location for future use.
Also pretty quiet, since it’s set back from the main row of stores.

The Summer Reading Book Club is amazing. With the club, they provide a list of books that is appropriate for my kids’ reading level and helps them set a goal for reading with a contract. I am a real fan of this bookstore, it’s stocked with more than you would find at a children’s library and curated by the wonderful staff there. They have a lot of experience as school librarians and understand how to get kids to read. My neighbor told me about it and we brave the Caldecott Tunnel to go there. A jewel of a store!

Such a great first visit to this new bookstore. Very friendly and helpful. Killer selection of kids books.