Gulliver’s Books, 3525 College Road, Fairbanks, Alaska
With two in diapers, no errand is easy. The potential “I need to use the potty,” from Cedar coupled with the threat of a diaper buster from Coral leaves me dreading going out outnumbered. Gulliver’s Books is my carrot. I tell Cedar, “We’ll stop at Gulliver’s” and she will endure any trial of difficult errands around town. The bank, the post office, the gas station—Gulliver’s makes them all bearable.
It’s the Shangri La of errand spots for parents with little ones. The lay out of the used book floor makes it easy to corral a rambunctious toddler while you browse. Trap them in the spirituality corner while you look for books on Buddhism or corner them in the parenting section while you find advice on how to get them to listen. They can’t get too far.
The same feature in the Cafe makes it an ideal setting for a couple of moms (or dads) wanting to get together during the day. Choose a table in one of the little semi-private roomlets. The kids are contained and you don’t feel like you’re ruining everyone else’s coffee break. Cedar is fond of Second Story Café cinnamon rolls. She folds her hands prayer-like, cues up her most polite voice, and says, “Mama, may I please get something from the café.”
The bathroom with the changing table is in the literature section wedged somewhere between Hardy and Kundera. Far from the maddening crowd, it’s always clean, has a handy coat hook for the diaper bag, and is well lit. I wonder about the folks browsing the Brontes overhearing my diapering dialogue with Coral. “Let’s change your diaper. Let’s use a wiper,” I sing. My MFA in poetry comes in handy. I rock the rhymes in the diaper changing songs. I’m hopeful that some mournful English major will overhear me and be inspired.
The mustard colored chairs in mass-market paperback fiction are a nursing mom’s sanctuary. If Coral’s getting ornery, I take Cedar over to the kid’s section, let her choose a few books, and park the three of us on the chairs. Cedar takes one and Coral and I take the other. I can read while Coral fills up. Mesmerized by the books, Cedar doesn’t try to run off even though she knows I can’t easily get up. Any Gulliver’s visit ends in a big stack of used books for Cedar at a price I can handle, so we all go home happy.
The staff is friendly to little ones. Before Christmas they were patient enough to allow Cedar to use my credit card (with my assistance) to pay for her sister’s present. “This is for my sister,” she said, her chest puffed out with pride. “What a great big sister you are,” said the bookseller. A little positive reinforcement from a stranger goes a long way for a two year old. Cedar has been saying, “Remember when I got a compliment at the bookstore. I have good manners!” I’m happy to both shop and change diapers locally at Gulliver’s.
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