DES MOINES, Iowa — Des Moines resident Bethany Fast describes her life as a series of "big life shifts": Cross-country moves, major career changes, having kids. Now, she's starting a new adventure, focusing on the little joys.
Fast and her husband David are opening The Little Book, a children's bookstore, later this week.
"There's children's sections at every bookstore, but there's not a store that's really predominantly aimed at children," Fast said. "It just felt like a niche we could fill."
Located in Des Moines' historic Highland Park neighborhood, The Little Book is focused on creating a "child-inclusive" space for kids and families.
"As caregivers of children ... it's a lot of times hard to bring them into a space and feel like it's okay for them to make noise. It's okay for them to be their loud, chaotic little selves," Fast said.
Part of making a space that's child-focused means focusing on the little details ... literally. The shelves don't tower over visitors, making it easier for kids and people with mobility aids to access books. When kids aren't browsing, they can sit in the reading nook or at a kid-sized craft table.
Even the bathrooms are catered to children and parents, from toddler-friendly toilet seats, step stools near the sink and extra diapers and wipes by the changing table.
"We're just really trying to take the time to walk through what we go through as parents trying to wrangle kids," Fast said.
For Fast, part of creating a child-inclusive environment means making sure every child is represented on the shelves.
"We are seeing a lot of legislation and, you know, laws being put into place that really are affecting children in a big way in a way that they don't get a say in," she said.
Fast is referring to recent efforts by Republican legislators to restrict which books are offered in schools. She believes these restrictions hurt kids by taking away their ability to see themselves and their families reflected in the books they read.
At The Little Book, though, Fast hopes to provide a place where those laws won't touch.
"All kids and all families can come in and see themselves on the shelves, see themselves in the employees, see themselves in the art and feel like it's a place where they can be safe and be comfortable and be celebrated," Fast said.
As the bookstore prepares to open its doors to the Des Moines community, Fast credits other local business owners for helping her make The Little Book a reality.
"We have been so lucky with the people that we have worked with to find folks who really care," Fast said. "They really have put a lot of not just physical labor, but like emotional labor into their work too. And I think it's really going to shine."
Fast also notes the community response to The Little Book has been "amazing", even though the shop has yet to open its doors. She plans to support the community right back: In the future, Fast says the bookstore has plans to collaborate with local authors and nearby schools.
"Adding value to the community is always in the background of what we're doing," she said.
While the journey to opening the bookstore has been a whirlwind, Fast can't wait for Des Moines families to see the space.
"I hope that people when they get up on Saturday mornings, and they think, 'Oh my gosh, what am I gonna do with these kids?' that they think of us and are excited to come," she said.
The Little Book will host its grand opening event on Friday, Feb. 9 from 4-8:30 p.m. The event will also feature Nic Roth's mural unveiling and artist exhibition. Find more details here.