Provo Library Children's Book Blog

Basket Ball: The Story of the All-American Game By Kadir Nelson New York: Little, Brown and Co., 2026. Informational. 102 pgs. In December of 1891, at a YMCA in Springfield, Massachusetts, James Naismith taught his students how to play a new game. He mounted fruit baskets on either end of a large room and players scored points by throwing a ball into the basket on either end. Then, play would stop while they pulled out a ladder to retrieve the ball and start again. It didn't stay that way for very long. This fascinating, informative book shows how basketball innovated and evolved from a slow moving game for mostly white players, into the fast-paced, high drama, fully integrated sport we enjoy today.  Even as a big basketball fan, I still assumed that I would mostly flip through this book to see Kadir Nelson's beautiful paintings and then call it a day. Instead, I read this book cover-to-cover in a single sitting enjoying every page. Fans of other books illustrated by Kadir Nels...

  Cuentos El cumpleaños de Mateo Por Pato Mena [Madrid] : NubeOcho, 2024. Libro ilustrado. "Sofía está invitada al cumpleaños de Mateo. Y su padre la acompaña. 'Papá, si tú y yo fuéramos gatos, ¿Cómo llegaríamos al cumpleaños? ¿Y si fuéramos ranas? ¿Rinocerontes? ¿Aliens? ¿Fantasmas?'" --Editor Cuentitos El pez arcíris Por Marcus Pfister New York : Northsouth Books, 2025. Pequeño libro ilustrado. "La historia querida sobre compartir y amistad es disponisble como libro de cartón traducido por el galardonado autor David Bowles. El Pez Arco̕ris es el pez más bello de todo el mar. Vanidoso y orgulloso, se niega a compartir sus escamas relucientes. Cuando los otros peces no quieren jugar con él, el Pez Arco̕ris aprende que compartiendo puede hacer amistades y encontrar la felicidad. Esta historia sencilla sobre un pez bonito que aprende una lección importante conmueve a lectores de todos idiomas." --Editor Otros libros sobre las letras del idioma español Muu juu ...

Preschool Time Zebra and Yak: The Backwards Alphabet Book By Paul Friedrich New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2025. Picture Book. When the alphabet starts with Z instead of A, Zebra and Yak make their way through a mixed-up alphabet in search of Apple. --Editor Preschool Time Amadou's Zoo By Rebecca Walsh Salem, MA: Page Street Kids, 2020. Picture Book. Amadou has waited and waited for his class trip to the zoo, but when they arrive, his teacher would rather talk about rules. So, Amadou eagerly explores the zoo in his own way--by allowing his imagination to lead. As more and more classmates follow him into his irresistible world of adventure, the sepia-toned zoo fills with vibrant color. But will Amadou's teacher follow, too? --Editor Toddler Time A Hippo in Our Yard By Liza Donnelly New York: Holiday House, 2016. Picture Book. Sally tries to tell her family that a hippo, a tiger, zebras and koalas are in their yard, but no one pays attention until they hear that the zoo animal...

These vibrant picture book biographies introduce young readers to creative thinkers who transformed imagination into meaningful art. From abstract painters and revolutionary printmakers to innovative sculptors and glass artists, each story shows how curiosity, resilience, and self-expression shape both art and identity. Art is not just about talent—it’s about looking at the world in a new way, embracing challenges, and having the courage to create something uniquely your own. Joan Mitchell Paints a Symphony Written by Lisa Rogers Illustrated by Stacy Innerst New York, NY : Calkins Creek, 2025. Biography. This is the story of abstract artist Joan Mitchell, and it centers on the creation of her 21-painting La Grande Vallée series finished in 1983 at her studio outside Paris. Inspired by a friend’s description of a secluded French valley she never actually saw, Mitchell transformed memory and emotion into sweeping, expressive canvases rather than literal landscapes. Through musical metap...

  A Kid Like Me By Norm Feuti New York : HarperAlley, an imprint of HarperColins Publishers, 2026. Comic. 261 pages. Ethan is worried about standing out at his new middle school for all the wrong reasons: namely that he doesn't have as much money as the affluent kids who will also be attending. Ethan's single mother is working as hard as she can at big box store to provide for their family, but they still can’t afford cool clothes and shoes he sees his classmates wearing. In fact, with no child support money coming in from his father, Ethan's mom can only provide him with her old flip phone - which he's so embarrassed by that he lies and tells kids he doesn't have a phone at all. To make matters worse, as Ethan and his best friend drift apart, he also has to work to find new friends - many of which come from the Battle Bots Club that he joins after school. Feuti does an excellent job of bringing up issues of class without the book feeling too heavy. In fact, if your...

With Artemis II venturing into space, I have a renewed excitement and interest in space travel!  If  you are also itching to play astronaut, check out the fascinating informational books below! The Astrochimps: America's First Astronauts By Dawn Cusick Chicago, Illinois: Chicago Review Press, 2024. Informational. 210 pgs. Although nearly 800 people have now traveled to space, chimpanzees beat us there.  In The Astrochimps , author Dawn Cusick details the legacy of the chimpanzees who endured strenuous physical training, often outshining their human counterparts, all in the name of space exploration and ensuring the humans to follow would do so safely.  The space program owes so much to these chimps, whose treatment would, today, be considered questionable at best, and Cusick encourages and advocates for the humane treatment of chimpanzees now. The Astronauts Guide to Leaving the Planet Written by Terry Virts Illustrated by  Andrés Lozano New York, NY: Workm...