If you cannot find a children's book you are looking for, check your local public library - for example, search the Ann Arbor District Library (AADL) online catalog.
If you want to preview a book before you go to the library, there is a good chance it may be in Google Books. While the entire book is generally not available, Google Books does post a significant amount of many books online.
You will need to know the call number, status, and location of the book before you can find it in the library. See Searching the Online Catalog (Library Catalog Search) for instructions on how to obtain this information.
The Children's Literature Collection moved from the basement of Shapiro to 3 South Hatcher on
September 16, 2016.
Here are some call numbers to get you started. These call numbers may help you find books via location, since books with the same subject material tend to be shelved together. This is by no means a comprehensive list of all the call numbers relating to children's literature in the library.
Class P - Language and literature
Subclass PN - Literature (general)
PN441-1009.5 - Literary history
PN 1008.2-1009.5 - Juvenile literature
Subclass PS - American literature
PS490 - Juvenile literature (general)
Subclass PZ - Fiction and juvenile belles lettres
PZ5-90 - Juvenile belles lettres
Class Z - Bibliography, library science, and general information resources
Z1001-1121 - General bibliography
Z1035-1035.9 - Best books
Z1036 - Booksellers' general catalogs of modern books
Z1037-1039 - Books for special classes of persons, institutions, etc.
The University of Michigan Library subscribes to an ebook collection titled Proquest Ebook Central. Included in this collection are several children's ebooks. From the Browse Subjects page, select Juvenile Literature to browse through the children's books in this collection. Be advised that the content of this collection changes rapidly and without notice. Visit the Help menus within the Ebook Central interface for information about using the interface.
Children's Literature and Culture is a collection of rare books, games, ephemera, and artwork from the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries that reveals the socio-cultural history of these times.
Sometimes Library Catalog Search will indicate that a children's book is located in "Special Collections Children's Literature" The Children's Literature Collection in the Special Collections Research Center contains approximately 25,000 published volumes including archival material created or collected by a number of notable authors and illustrators. These materials are available for building use only.