When the son of Hispanic migrant workers meets a German immigrant in Iowa, something truly inspirational occurs. “Tomás and the Library Lady,” presented to Lawrence schoolchildren at the Lied Center, tells the story of a young boy in the 1940s who learns how to speak English – and a whole lot more – from a generous librarian.

Based on the book of the same name by Pat Mora, the play follows Tomás Riviera (Marcos Najera) as he travels with his parents, little brother and grandfather from Texas to Iowa, where there is work picking corn. The family is so poor they must live in a chicken coop. Tomás is deeply troubled by recurring nightmares of a cruel teacher in Texas who repeatedly scolded him for not speaking English, while his mother (Gina Handy, who also plays the Library Lady and Tomás’s younger brother, Enrique) frets about the ramifications of having to take him out of school.

Tomás loves stories, but once he knows all of his grandfather’s tales, he is told he must learn some new ones. While in town to mail a letter, he is attracted to the library and meets its librarian. She immediately recognizes the boy’s difficulty with English, but unlike his teacher, she is intrigued by his language. The two quickly form a bond born of understanding how difficult it can be to fit in as an immigrant, and the Library Lady teaches Tomás English, German and how to read. Tomás teaches her Spanish, and his imagination is fired when he is able to learn new stories from the books the Library Lady loans him.

The story is beautifully told by playwright Jose Cruz González and is packed with much more depth than one might expect in a children’s play. The overt theme of the joy that reading can bring is not overstated but instead flows naturally from the action. Subtler themes of racial tolerance, confronting one’s fears and the importance of role models in the lives of children are skillfully woven throughout, creating a rich tale that teaches without preaching.

Handy is brilliant in her three roles, switching effortlessly between Spanish and German accents and portraying equally well a little boy’s enthusiasm, a mother’s concern for her son and a mentor’s pride in her pupil’s accomplishments. Najera has the difficult job of playing a child, but he avoids the hammy performances often given by adults in child roles, rendering instead an honest and vivid portrait of a boy discovering himself.

Holly Windingstad’s set is simple and incorporates a video screen on which animation helps advance the story and enhances the scenery. The grandfather is represented solely by a talking nose and mustache – an effect the children in the audience enjoyed.

“Tomás and the Library Lady” is that rare theater experience that teaches something important without hammering home its point. Beautifully crafted, it is an inspiration to every child who has struggled to fit in.