Provo Library Children's Book Blog

Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site by Sherri Duskey Rinker and Tom Lichtenheld Chronicle Books, 2011. Unpaged. Picture Book. Bears bed down for the night, why not bulldozers? Rinker's delightfully rhyming text is perfectly illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld and is a dream of a bedtime story for young construction fans. "Spinning, churning all day long,/ Cement Mixer sings his whirly song./ now (yawn!) he's weary and so dizzy,/ From the fun that keeps him busy." So he takes a bath, slows his drum, and goes to sleep. A builder's version of "Goodnight, Moon," this story is a lovely wind-down for kids and their grown-ups after a busy day.

The Crows of Pearblossom by Aldous Huxley, illustrated by Sophie Blackall Abrams, 2011. Unpaged. Picture Book. Somewhere in between writing Brave New World, Point Counterpoint, and Ape and Essence, Aldous Huxley managed to turn out a charming children's book for his niece, Olivia. In this story, Mrs. Crow lays an egg a day, but never gets any baby crows because the snake who lives among the roots of her tree comes up for lunch every day while Mrs. Crow is at the store. One day she arrives home early with her shopping basket full of eggplant, polenta, and, ironically enough, a dozen eggs, to find the snake swallowing her potential offspring. Incensed, she demands Mr. Crow go down immediately and kill the snake. He thinks this is not such a good idea so goes to consult with his wise friend Old Man Owl, who quickly puts a plan into motion which involves making some clay eggs for the snake to swallow which gives him such a stomach ache he wrapped himself in knots around the tre...

Princess Kim and Too Much Truth by Maryann Gogga-Leffler Albert Whitman and Co. 2011. Unpag. Kim's school teacher, Mrs. Della, tells that class that it is important to always tell the truth. Kim decides to try it, but when she tells her grandma that her necklace looks like fish tank pebbles and her dad that his pancakes are rubbery, they don't seem pleased with her truthfulness. Kim can't figure out why telling the truth has made everyone so mad at her, until her friend suggests she focus her truthful comments on the "one single thing" that she likes about her grandma's necklace or her friend's boots. This is a lighthearted book that deals with and important life skill. Kim is feminine and frilly and the illustrations are likely to appeal to children who like Fancy Nancy. There is even glitter on the cover. Being truthful without offending people is a complicated business for children, and even adults. This book is a great way to introduce the topic.

Missing on Superstition Mountain by Elise Broach Henry Holt, 2011. 262 pgs. Fiction. When Simon, Henry, and Jack move with their parents to Arizona to live in Uncle Hank's old house, they are fascinated by, but warned against Superstition Mountain. Their parents tell them never to go up on the mountain, but when their cat runs away, right up the hillside, what can they do? They follow. Sticks stuck into the trail help them find their way back home, but not before Jack has tumbled down a hillside landing by three gleaming human skulls. The kids scramble back home, lie to their parents about where they have been, and begin to investigate the great number of mysterious deaths and disappearances on Superstition Mountain. Along the way they take up with a girl named Delilah who has confiscated their missing cat for her own. The four feel compelled to climb the mountain again to bring down the skulls but complicating their quest is the persistent legend of the Lost Dutchman's Min...

My Mom Has X-Ray Vision by Angela McAllister Tiger Tales, 2011. Unpaged. Picture book. How does Matthew's mom know that he is jumping on his bed, or using her good pans outside WITHOUT EVEN LOOKING??!! Matthew suspects she has X-ray vision, which he secretly thinks would be cool, and decides to test his theory. While he waits in a closet to see if his mom can find him, the reader gets to watch his mother in action. The colorful and crazy illustrations are perfectly matched to the story, and the use of different fonts throughout the text add to the fun. You will just have to read this book if you want to know how moms know EVERYTHING!

Statue of Liberty: A Tale of Two Countries by Elizabeth Mann Mikaya Press, 2011. 47 pages. Nonfiction. With the upsurge of anti-French sentiment seen in the last decade (remember freedom fries?), it is refreshing and informative to be reminded of how good the French have been to the United States in the past. In fact, the symbol of our country's enduring freedom, Lady Liberty, was envisioned, created, and payed for through the tireless efforts of two Frenchmen, Edouard Laboulaye and Frederic Auguste Bartholdi. Since 1776, when America had declared her independence, through the 1870s, there had been many different governments that had risen and fallen in France. Many French people looked to America in hope that one day their country would also become a democracy. Laboulaye especially hoped for this, and had become France's foremost authority on America's history, government, constitution, and laws. His dream was to present a monument of liberty to America in 1876 in hon...

Do You Know Which Ones Will Grow? by Susan A. Shea Blue Apple Books, 2011. Unpaged Picture Book. "If an owlet grows and becomes an owl, can a washcloth grow and become a towel?" The colorful illustrations, fold-out pages, and rhyming text will have kids giggling and feeling smart as they answer the questions of what will grow and what will not. Figuring out the difference between living and non-living things can be confusing for young children, and reading this book is a fun way to begin explaining some of these differences.

Horton Halfpott, or, The fiendish mystery of Smugwick Manor, or, The loosening of M'Lady Luggertuck's Corset. by Tom Angleberger Amulet Books, 2011, 206 p. Humorous Fiction Here is a new book by the author of last year's hit, The Strange Case of the Origami Yoda . This book is very different from that, but it is so much fun. Horton is a dishwasher in the castle of Lady Luggertuck. She is normally a grumpy and difficult mistress, but one day she decides to loosen her corset. It makes her a little less grumpy, and the repercussions of "the loosening" are felt throughout the castle. Her son, Luther, is not happy about "the loosening," decides to try to make everyone as miserable as they were before. He devises a diabolical plan and it is up to Horton and his friends to try to stop him. The tone of the entire book is tongue in cheek. The names of the characters are hilarious, and Angleberger includes several sequences of very well written p...

Lizard Music by Daniel Pinkwater. New York Review of Books, 2011. 157 pgs. Fiction. When Victor's parents leave him with his older sister while they are on vacation, he worries about having to take care of her, but she soon leaves for the beach with her hippie friends leaving him on his own to sleep in, eat TV dinners, and stay up late to watch Walter Cronkite, Roger Mudd, and B movies. One night when all stations should have signed off, he sees a jazz ensemble of lizards playing really good music, but when he calls the station to find out who they are, they've never heard of such a thing. When Victor takes the bus into Hogboro he meets the Chicken Man, also known as Charles Swan, Lawrence Lawrence, and Herr Doktor Professor Horace Kupeckie, Plt. D. (Doctor of Poultry), who eventually takes him to the invisible island of the lizards, who are mostly named Reynold. Daniel Pinkwater is a loon of the highest order, and this reissue of one his early books a rare delight. Tho...

Saving Audie: A Pit Bull Puppy Gets a Second Chance by Dorothy Hinshaw Patent; photographs by William Munoz Walker & Company, 2011. Unpaged. Nonfiction. Michael Vick is a great football player. As a dog owner, not so much. When Vick's dogfighting operation was busted up and Vick jailed, lots of dogs needed homes and rehabilitation. Many worried that the dogs had been schooled so thoroughly to be aggressive that they might have to be put down, but as Patent's story of Audie shows, only one could not be saved. Everyone was surprised to discover that most of the dogs responded quickly to kindness and obedience training, though some were shy and skittish around people and other dogs for a long time. Audie, like most pit bulls, is not distinguished for his looks, but knowing where he came from and how far he has come makes him quite a lovely little pup. Ms. Patent also tells the stories of Audie's helpers and how they came to love him and to give him agility train...

Rah, Rah, Radishes!: A Vegetable Chant by April Pulley Sayre Simon & Schuster, 2011. Unpaged. Picture Book. April Sayre leads an extended cheer for Vegetables from rah, rah radishes through root for rutabagas and bounce for beets. I can't think many kids would go for some of these vegetables, but perhaps that's the point: bok choy, cayenne peppers, eggplants, and kohlrabi deserve a shout out just like mainstream comestibles. The pictures are attractive, largely unposed full-page spreads shot in the South Bend Farmers' Market. The end page promises that although "no vegetables were harmed or mistreated in the making of this book . . . . Most were later eaten." Sayre also coaxes kids to try and to learn about vegetables and shares the fascinating tidbit that although tomatoes are really a fruit, they were declared a vegetable in 1893 by the Supreme Court, for tax purposes in international commerce. Who knew?

Labracadabra by Jessie Nelson and Karen Leigh Hopkins Viking, 2011. 36 pgs. Intermediate. Zach has always wanted a dog, but is not all that happy when his parents bring home a small, mixed-breed pooch named Larry. Zach wanted a more distinguished pet, but with his endlessly whapping tail, Larry turns out to be just the thing. Is Larry's tail magic? Zach can't be sure, but that tail gets him past the big scary mean kid in the neighborhood, as well as saving his hyperallergic cousin Seymour from an enraged bee. Magic or not, Zach is soon happy as a clam to have Larry lying on the rug next to his bed, his tail thumping gently so Zach knows he is near. A charming and funny dog story for beginning chapter book readers.

All the Water in the World by George Ella Lyon and Katherine Tillotson Atheneum, 2011. Unpaged. Nonfiction. This story of this book begins on its cover: "All the water in the world . . . (turn to the first page) is all the water in the world." But where does that water come from? "Water doesn't come. It goes. Around." Tillotson's splashy, dashy pictures perfectly complement Lyon's funky text, describing the water cycle. Rain and rain and rain in one place--everything dust in another. Be careful with what we have, because, Honey, there isn't any more.

The Can Man by Laura E. Williams Lee & Low Books, 2010. Picture book. This heart-warming book tells the story of a young boy named Tim who really wants a new skateboard. His birthday is coming up, but times are hard, and even if he pitches in the money he has saved, he knows he will not be getting a skateboard. As Tim watches the homeless man known as The Can Man collect cans throughout the neighborhood, he gets an idea. For the next week, he stays just ahead of The Can Man, and ends up collecting seven bags of cans--enough to buy his skateboard. Tim occasionally feels a bit guilty, especially after he realizes that The Can Man is collecting cans to replace his ripped jacket with a winter coat to keep him warm. Tim and The Can Man end up helping each other, and the result is a touching, timeless story of kindness.

Say Hello to Zorro! by Carter Goodrich Simon & Schuster, 2011. Unpaged. Picture Book. Mister Bud has the dog's Life of Riley--his own house, bed, toys, and his own way and time of doing things. Wake-up time is followed every day by naptime, watch and wait time, dog biscuit time, greet and make a fuss time. But suddenly . . . a stranger! "Mister Bud, say hello to Zorro!" Mister Bud doesn't want to say hello to Zorro, a remarkably plug-ugly little mutt with piranha teeth and a hideous underbite. Zorro doesn't like Mister Bud messing with his toys, either. But by and by they discover what they both love most: a schedule. Then they can be friends. Carter Goodrich's witty text and even funnier pictures make this story of two ugly, set-in-their ways dogs a treasure, even for people who don't care for picky pooches.

How Did That Get in my Lunchbox? The Story of Food by Chris Butterworth, illustrated by Lucia Gaggiotti Candlewick, 2011. Unpaged. Nonfiction. Children learn where their lunch really comes from (besides the store, and their mother) in this sprightly retro look at food sources: seeds, wheat, and then flour become the bread for a cheese sandwich; clementines are picked by gloved workers to prevent bruising; chocolate chips--don't even ask!--arrive in your cookies after a long and labor-intensive process. This is an excellent beginning book for kids who think their food spontaneously appears wrapped in plastic on grocery store shelves.