Provo Library Children's Book Blog

The Magic Rabbit by Annette LeBlanc Cate is the story of a magician and his disappearing rabbit who disappears for real. Ray and Bunny are good friends who do everything together. When Bunny disappears, Ray is especially sad. As the evening shadows begin to fall, Bunny becomes desperate to find his master. Find out what surprise appears to help Bunny find his way back home. First time author/illustrator Annette LeBlanc is refreshing as well as impressive. c.m.

Pssst! by Adam Rex is my favorite picture book of the year. The cover illustration hooked me before I even opened up the book. The wonderful interior art as well as the hilarious story had me laughing out loud. If I had the power to pick a Caldecott winner, this would be it.

Ellie and her little brother have to stay with their aunt and uncle for a whole week. This includes going camping (not real camping in a tent, but fake camping in a cabin) with her cousins she does not like. Ellie takes her sketchbook to write down everything that happens during her miserable week. She falls into a swamp, makes new friends, gets lost in the woods, and has many other adventures. This was a fun story written like a graphic novel mixed with a diary. The pictures she draws and the words she uses to describe her experiences are very hilarious. This is a book I would strongly recommend!

The picture book I’d Really Like to Eat a Child is a fun story about a young crocodile who is raised on bananas. One day however, he decides he is tired of bananas and would like to eat a child. His parents try to find other food items that he would like to eat but he doesn’t want to eat them because he only wants to eat a child. Then one day he runs across a child… This is a quick, hilarious story with cute illustrations.

Desperate and neglected, Dinah is a girl who has been bounced around from place to place her whole life. When her young, irresponsible mother lands a job that allows them to temporarily live in a very old and decaying mansion, the fiercely independent Dinah is determined to transform it into the home she has always dreamed of. Unfortunately the house is owned by her mother’s current boyfriend, a cold man who doesn’t like Dinah. In her isolated loneliness, the girl finds herself forming a very real bond with several stone animals carved into a wall she passes each day on her way to school. One day she speaks to one of the statues inviting it to come with her. To her surprise—it gets down off the wall and accompanies her home. Over time, more statues soon follow. But are these magical creatures really her friends? Griffin’s Castle has the same chilling atmosphere as a good ghost story. Readers who are easily creeped out might want to steer clear of this slightly darker tale. Those who...

THE MANY RIDES OF PAUL REVERE; James Cross Giblin; New York: Scholastic, 2007; 80 pp. Juvenile Nonfiction Who knew that Paul Revere made a multitude of dangerous rides on behalf of the fledgling American Revolution, and not just the one for which he has been immortalized? James Cross Giblin did and he tells us about those adventures, about Paul Revere's arrests by the British and his tricks to get free, and about the rest of his life, during and after the Revolution. Did you know he built a powder mill near Boston to supply the Colonial Troops? Did you know he commanded the fortress on Castle Island in Boston Harbor as well as a ship carrying artillery to Maine? How about the foundry he built to cast bells, or the first copper-rolling mill in North America he built to cover the hulls of American ships? Did you know that Paul Revere and Robert Fulton knew each other, and that Revere made copper for the boilers of Fulton's steamboats? Me neither.

OX, HOUSE, STICK: THE HISTORY OF OUR ALPHABET ; Don Robb and Anne Smith; Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge, 2007; 47pp. Juvenile non-fiction. Colorful pictures and a surprisingly comprehensive text make this history of the alphabet one of the best ever for young people. Beginning with why written language was invented--to be able to keep a record, and to be able to speak to people far away in time or place--Robb traces the development of the alphabet from pictograms through hieroglyphics to Sumerian, Phoenician, and Roman incarnations to our current alphabet. The text is remarkably detailed, given the brightly colored picture book format of the book, and deserves careful and probably repeated readings. A terrific introduction to language.

Earth to Stella By Simon Puttock, illustrated by Philip Hopman Clarion Books, 2006. 31 pp. Picture book. Have you ever wondered what it would be like to take a journey through space...in a chicken-shaped spaceship? Read this book and you can find out! This little girl's imaginative flight inspired by her father's bedtime story will delight and charm children and parents alike. The vibrant illustrations are simple but beautifully designed and full of quirky personality, an excellent complement to the sweet story of a child's imagination and a father and daughter's relationship. Go check it out!

Lisa Wheeler is one of my very favorite picture book authors! I'm delighted to review her latest publication, Where, Oh Where, Is Santa Claus?, a Christmas book about Santa gone missing! Written in Wheeler's trademark rhythm and rhyme, we watch as several different types of polar animals search for Santa through a soft snow fall. Wheeler's fun rhyme scheme, use of onomatopoeia (sound words), and the repetitive phrase "Where, oh where, is Santa Claus?" make this a perfect read-aloud for children. The full 2-page spread illustrations are beautifully done in wax crayon and watercolor. I've always liked the way Ivan Bates does fur! Put this one on your wish list for Christmas books. You'll be glad you did!

Alcatraz Smedry is a young boy who is constantly moving from foster home to foster home because he breaks everything he touches. On his thirteenth birthday he receives his inheritance (a box of sand), and a crazy old man comes to take him away. The old man claims that he is Alcatraz’s grandfather and informs him that he is from a long line of well-known and powerful Smedrys, who all have special talents. These talents and other amusing powers are used to battle the Evil Librarians. Join Alcatraz and his new found friends in defeating the librarians. This book requires a wild imagination, such as imagining dinosaurs who love to read. It also requires a Lemony Snicket sense of humor. It is for readers who love libraries and librarians. However, after reading this book, they may never picture the library in the same way!

Akwesasne - Home. Sarah and Mattie, two Mohawk sisters in the late 1800's, find themselves far from their home at a school called "The Carlisle Indian Industrial School". Sweetgrass Basket is their fictional story, based on real experiences of native American children sent to Carlisle and other schools like it. It is told in alternating voices through prose poetry. Their story is courageous and, at the same time, heartbreaking. The quiet strength the American Indian children had to possess in order to endure the prejudices, cruelties, and loneliness of these schools, whose purpose was to teach the "savages" to be civilized, is awe-inspiring. Sarah and Mattie's story is well worth the read time, especially for girls 9 and older.

KNOCK, KNOCK! multiple authors and illustrators; New York: Dial, 2007; unpaged. Picture Book. Fourteen of the best contemporary illustrators of children's books fill these pages with laugh out loud knock-knock jokes and illustrations. Saxton Freymann begins with the tired old chestnut--two heads of lettuce asking for the person behind the door to "lettuce in," but when you turn the page, those lettuces have personality. Boris Kulikov has a very funny picture and joke for "Amos," and Chris Raschka unveils a splendid children's lit joke when "Verdi" comes to the door. The very funny and inventive book also gives the illustrators the chance to tell who they would like to find knocking at their doors ("Anybody but Ima," says Brett Helquist), and will give young readers an idea of how great illustrations can complement even the most basic text.

THE ALCHEMYST: THE SECRETS OF THE IMMORTAL NICHOLAS FLAMEL; Michael Scott; New York: Delacorte, 2007; 373 pp. Children's/Young Adult fiction The Alchemyst starts off with a bang--a lot of bangs, actually, when Dr. John Dee, a sulfurous necromancer, invades a bookshop with a gang of glassy-eyed Golems and steals the Book of Abraham the Mage from Nicholas Flamel, the 700-year old proprietor and alchemist. Accidentally caught up in the fracas are Josh and Sophie Newman, twins who work at the bookshop and a nearby coffee shop, respectively, and Nicholas' wife Perenelle, who is kidnapped along with the book. As Flamel frantically searches for the book and his missing wife, ancient forces come into play--the Morrigan, gods and goddesses of Ancient Egypt, cats, crows, and the sword, Excalibur. The twins, caught up in the chase, find that they may not be accidentally involved as the narrative races to a cliffhanger conclusion, and an anxious wait for the next volume in this exciting ...

The Old House is lonely. No one has lived in it for a long time. When people pass by they make such comments as "Did you ever see such an unhappy old house?" and "You'd have to be crazy to live in such an old heap!" People had even said "The only thing to do with that dump is to knock it down!" Hearing such comments just made the house more depressed despite all the friends who tried to cheer him up. Then one day a family walked by and the old house knew this was meant to be his family. Would the family see past the unpainted walls, broken shutters and crooked porch? Would they see the inner beauty and loving house underneath? Henry Cole provides beautiful illustrations for this touching story. The house truly shows its emotions. Hopefully children will read this story and realize that it applies to people as well as houses. You shouldn't judge someone by what is on the outside. Appearances aren't everything.

Diana is a young girl who uses her love of poetry and astronomy to help her through some big changes in her life. In Where I Live , Eileen Spinelli tells Diana's story in short and simple verse. Matt Phelan's black and white illustrations add life to the text, giving the characters more depth and personality. A charming story about moving away from old friends, making new friends and being happy with who you are no matter where you live.

I’ve often felt there was much left to be desired as far as easy reader books are concerned. There is only so much that can be said about the “cat that sat on the mat”. That was before Mo Willem’s Elephant and Piggie books came to town. There are currently four books in the series (hopefully with many more on the way). There is a Bird on Your Head is my favorite title in the series. Elephant has a problem. Two birds have decided to build their nest on his head. His friend Piggie thinks this is wonderful. Elephant isn’t so sure—and with good reason. Out of all the books I’ve read aloud to groups of children this is the one that always gets the most giggles. Other titles in this series are: My Friend is Sad , I’m Invited to a Party , and Today I Will Fly (My second favorite in this series). The next book in the series, I will Surprise My Friend , is coming to a library near you in June of 2008.

In the year 1907, Julia Hamilton unexpectedly finds herself accompanying her diplomat father on a trip through Turkey. Having only lived the sheltered and carefully controlled life of a well behaved English girl, Julia is thrilled to leave her restrictive life behind. She quickly discovers, however, that all is not as it seems on this trip. Odd things are going on among the members of their traveling party. Everyone is behaving suspiciously, especially her father. Foreign intrigue, hidden motives, forbidden love—this story has all the elements of a good Agatha Christie novel. Gloria Whelan has written many wonderful historical fiction novels covering many interesting periods of history. This book was no exception. However, I did find myself feeling a little overwhelmed with political information at times. It was difficult to sort out all the different political fractions and why each opposed the other for this or that reason. Despite this small complaint, I found this novel extremely...

HOW TO CATCH A FISH; John Frank; illustrated by Peter Sylvada; Picture Book; New Milford, CT: Roaring Book Press, 2007; unpaged. Beautifully written and beautifully illustrated, John Frank and Peter Sylvada's How to Catch a Fish takes its readers from New Caledonia to Ishi Pishi falls to tell, in lyrical verse, and show, in ravishing watercolors, how to catch a fish. Showing as well the bond between man and nature, father and child, this book is a small treasure, especially for the fisher folk.

THE CHAOS CODE; Justin Richards; Juvenile/Young Adult fiction; London: Bloomsbury, 2007; 388pp. I really liked Justin Richards' The Death Stealer , and kept reading The Chaos Code because I thought it would get better, but it was a slog to the end. The book has a promising premise: a power-mad archaeologist wants the secrets of the ancients so he can rule the world, and in this narrative, he has created a computer program that can raise golems and avatars from the earth, air, wind, and fire. Matt and Robin, their parents and other helpers, possibly from the lost continent of Atlantis itself, must fight to save the world. One wonders how such a story could be boring, but the characters are thinly drawn, their feelings for one another are either sketchy or inexplicable and explanation trumps excitement in what should have been a thriller.

If Hitler and the Nazis had had their way, we may never have heard of a certain little monkey with an insatiable curiosity named George. The Journey That Saved Curious George is about the wartime escape of George's creators, Margret and H.A. Rey. The Reys were living in France when Adolph Hitler and his German army swept across Europe, conquering other countries. It was especially dangerous for the Reys because they were Jewish. This book tells about their brave escape on bicycles from Paris to Lisbon, Portugal. One of H.A.'s manuscripts, which later became the first Curious George book, made the trip, too! This book by Louise Borden, with illustrations by Allan Drummond, includes photographs, original illustrations, and details about the Rey's early lives, as well as what happened to them after the war.

LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD, retold and illustrated by Jerry Pinkney; New York: Little, Brown, and Co., 2007; 16.95; ISBN 0316013552 or 9780316031550; Picture BookWith Jerry Pinkney at the drawing board, one might imagine how beautiful this new version of Little Red Riding Hood is. In addition, it has several standout features: Pinkney retells the original story, in which the wolf eats Grandma and Little Red Riding Hood, and a passing woodsman kills the wolf with an ax and lets them out; Little Red Riding Hood is black; and the story takes place in the winter. The brilliant red of the cloak is striking against a backdrop of snow, evergreens, and pale birches. Recommended purchase for all libraries. It is a crime against art and society that Jerry Pinkney has never won the Caldecott medal (editorial remark).

Suzanne Crowley gives us a very realistic novel about a very unique girl. The Very Ordered Existence of Merilee Marvelous is about a young girl who has a very different outlook on life. Her condition is never named, but it is Asperger's Syndrome. Merilee is only comfortable if she can keep precisely to her schedule. She has every minute of every day planned out. If anything disrupts her V.O.E. she becomes very agitated. Some new people move to her little town of Jumbo, Texas and have a very profound effect on Merilee's life. The question is will this be more than she can handle, or will Merilee rise above it and realize she can be more than the 'freak' that everyone thinks she is. There are lots of characters whose lives are all interconnected in this novel, but from each of them Merilee is able to learn something to help her become a better person.