Provo Library Children's Book Blog

Food Displays By Sue Heaser A selection of 40+ projects guides readers in creating realistic-looking food from polymer clay for their dolls' house the easy way! Toys and Games By Jane Harrop An essential step-by-step guide to making over 35 toys and games for the 1/12th scale dolls' house. Embroidered Projects By Sue Hawkins This selection of beautiful step-by-step embroidered projects in 1/12th scale includes exquisite cushions, bell pulls, samplers, linen, firescreens and much more for the dolls' house of any style and period.  Carpets and Rugs By Sue Hawkins A selection of over 25 carpets and rugs to make for the dolls' house in a variety of classic styles.  Curtains By Sue Hawkins A selection of over 25 carpets and rugs to make for the dolls' house in a variety of classic styles.  Making and Dressing Miniature Teddy Bears The Dollhouse Decorator By Vivienne Boulton Felt Wee Folk: Enchanting Projects By...

Children's Library Staff members have created some truly amazing book character pumpkins!  Check out our Pinterest board for more pictures and links.  Or, come down to the library and see our dazzling displays! Happy Halloween from Olivia the pumpkin pig.

Shadow on the Mountain by Margi Preus Amulet, 2012.  286 pgs. Historical Fiction      When Norway is invaded by Germany during World War II, Espen and his friends feel horrified, and also helpless.  But Espen soon gets an opportunity to help.  He delivers newspapers to members of the underground resistance movement, illegal papers that tell what is really going on in the world. Soon he graduates to carrying coded messages, skiing cross country and acting so innocent that he waves excitedly to a German plane as it flies overhead. Obedient to his father's mantra that the best way to do anything is the simplest way, he penetrates the Nazi garrison by trading potatoes for trinkets with the prisoners and provides the Resistance with a detailed map of the camp. When Espen's luck runs out, he must ski over the mountains to Sweden and safety--but will he get there before he is betrayed by a young man who has always hated him? or, perhaps, by his best fri...

Monsieur Marceau Actor Without Words by Leda Schubert ill. by Gerard Dubois New York : Roaring Brook Press, 2012 unpaged picture book biography Marcel Marceau was without a doubt the most famous mime the world has ever known. He used his facial expressions and body movements to express a multitude of emotions and scenarios. But who was he before he learned to mime? Many are surprised to learn that he worked with the French underground during World War II leading hundreds of Jewish orphans from an orphanage in France to safety in Switzerland.  Some might think that mimes are mimes because they don't like to talk, or maybe even were born mute. Marceau however, loved to talk when he was not performing.   He even said, "Do not meddle in the affairs of wizards, for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup." Not everything he said was nonsense. He also said, "Neither laughter nor tears are French, English, Russian, or Japanese." Marceau traveled the world ...

Laundry Day by Maurie J. Manning Boston : Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2012 unpaged picture book A young shoeshine boy wanders through the bustling streets of turn-of-the-century New York City. Disheartened when no one wants a shine, the little boy slumps down on the sidewalk. A piece of red cloth floats down from the sky landing on his shoulders immediately lifting his spirits as well as his curiosity. Peering up at the many lines of laundry strung between the buildings he decides to go in search of the owner of the  beautiful red fabric. As he climbs the fire-escapes he asks all he encounters if they are the owners of the cloth. Each person he visits represents a different culture, age and occupation. When he reaches the top of the building and discovers where the red scarf came from he is in for a pleasant surprise, and a reward. This beautiful picture book depicts the melting-pot community that helped make New York City what it is today. The layout of the book is very appe...

Meet the Beast Beast Friends Forever #1 by Nate Evans and Vince Evans Intermediate Fantasy 112 pages Naperville, Ill. : Sourcebooks Jabberwocky, c2010 Zeke and Hannah get more than they bargained for when they open a package from their father. The aircraft carrier he is stationed on passed through the Bermuda Triangle while he was preparing the package. Apparently the Bermuda Triangle can be blamed for more than mysterious disappearances! A mysterious creature from Triangle Island now is wreaking havoc in the kid's household. The trio is soon having lots of craziness and lots of trouble too. Second and third-graders just getting into chapter books will have a good time reading about the Beast!

It's a Tiger! Written by David LaRochelle Illustrated by Jeremy Tankard Chronicle Books, c2012. Unpaged. Picture book. A young child is strolling through the jungle only to accidentally stumble across--A TIGER! The child runs away with great haste only to discover that pesky tiger is on every page. This story is the perfect read aloud for young  children. It reminded me of Going on a Bear Hunt with lots of fun actions for the kids to act out as the story goes along. Preschoolers will also love shouting out "IT'S A TIGER!" right along with the main character every time the beast makes another appearance. The brightly painted pictures of this delightful book are as fun to look at as the story is to read.

Fonchito y la Luna Mario Vargas Llosa Santillana Ediciones Generales, S. L.,  30 pages, Picture Book  Fonchito is a little boy fascinated with Nereida,  a cute little girl, who wants him to bring her the moon so she can let him give her a little kiss in the cheek, like he asked. This is a tender story of a small boy and a cute little girl and his ingenuity to do just what she wants, bring her the moon. See how he does it in this cute and tender book. Love it!! Fonchito es un pequeño que esta facinado con Nereida, una niña bella, quien quiere que el le traiga la luna y se la regale en respuesta a su requesta de darle un beso en la mejilla. Este es un cuento tierno e ingenioso, vea como Fonchito se las ingenia para hacer lo que ella le pide regalarle la luna. ¡Me encantó!

  Elefante Petr Horácek Editorial Juventud , S. A., 2009, 32 pages, Picture Book This is a cute story about a boy and his (imaginary) friend the elephant. The adults are sometimes busy, so his elephant is the right playmate. This sweet story will appeal to younger kids, as it has short lines and big pictures that really tell the story well. I really enjoy this book, short sweet and tender. Un cuento tierno y ameno a cerca de un niño y su mascota imaginaria con el cual puede jugar cuando los adultos estan ocupados. Este es un cuento ideal para niños pequeños, es corto y sus dibujos son grandes de manera que los pequeñitos pueden seguir el cuento sin dificultad, realmente me gustó mucho, corto y tierno.

The Mighty Mars Rovers: The Incredible Adventures of Spirit and Opportunity By Elizabeth Rusch Houghton Mifflin Books for Children, 2012. 79 pages. Non-fiction. When I was younger, I was able to see the Mars Pathfinder at the Jet Propulsion Lab and was immediately fascinated by the idea of planetary exploration. That rover's journey to the red planet was spectacular, but short-lived. I was very excited to find this new book all about the adventures of Spirit and Opportunity, which were launched in 2003 and are still functioning Mars explorers. Mission leader Steve Squyres is clearly passionate about his career, which was inspired by watching the moon landing when he was a child. This book covers the rovers' journey from inception to construction, and from launch to discoveries. I would love to see this book win the Sibert award for its incredible photography, narratives, and information. Curiosity, the newest rover on Mars, was launched in 2011. It has more capabilitie...

Inch and Roly Make a Wish Written by Melissa Wiley Illustrated by Ag Jatkowska Simon Spotlight, c2012. Unpaged easy reader. On a sleepy afternoon, Inch and Roly and their friends are bored. They decide to go to the wishing well and make wishes for something fun to do. Of course, to make a wish, they need a penny. They can only find one, so Roly decides to make a wish for more wishes. Magically, Beetle finds a four leaf clover, Dragonfly finds a dandelion, and Inch spots the dusk's first star. These are all wonderful wish opportunities. Their wishes are all granted, as they have spent the afternoon making fun discoveries. This Ready-to-Read Level 1 book is simple and sweet, and hopefully the first of more Inch and Roly adventures by this author-illustrator team!

Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs By Mo Willems Balzer & Bray, c2012. 32 pages. Picture book. Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs is a fantastic "un-done" fairy tale! The three dinosaurs are Mama, Papa, and "some Dinosaur who happens to be visiting from Norway." Instead of porridge, the dinos cook up some pudding to try to attract children to their home. Goldilocks comes in, as expected, and gorges herself on the yummy treat. After overhearing the dinosaurs cheering their victory, she realizes she's in the wrong story- she's supposed to be at a bear's house, not a dinosaur's! She hightails it on out of there and finds herself with the three bears where she belongs. As always from Mo Willems, this  story is a hysterical read aloud for any age.

The Unfortunate Son by Constance Leeds Viking, 2012.  302 pgs. Historical Fiction.      The Count de Muguet was a ruthless man, excited by the birth of his second son until he discovers the boy's defect--he has only one ear. Years later a young man, with one ear, named Luc meets a lovely young woman named Beatrice who has been taken in by her nurse Mattie after the death of her father and the abandonment of her mother. Luc himself seems ill-fitted to his family--a blonde son of a swarthy father and dark-favored brothers, he can never please his father and finally hires on with Pons, Beatrice's guardian, to learn the fisherman's trade. Luc brings luck to the family but is unlucky himself when he is captured by Saracen pirates and sold into slavery. Lucky again in his master, Luc learns medicine, astronomy, Arabic, and a thousand and one useful skills in Tunisia. But will he ever get back home to Mattie, Pons, and especially Beatrice? And will his loving fri...

Color Camouflage: a Spot-It Challenge by Sarah L. Schuette Capstone, 2011. 32 pgs. Picture Book      Though clearly derivative of the I Spy franchise, the Spot-It Challenge books provide a welcome expansion of the original idea. Color Camouflage is a particular toughie because not only do readers have to spot the objects, but have to pick, for example, gray objects out of a gray background. An exercise like this could drive a geezerette such as myself totally bughouse, but kids will love it. If you survive the original challenge, the book offers a Spot Even More! section as well as a concluding Extreme Spot-It Challenge. Spot-It Challenge books may be found in the Picture Book section under Schuette.

Oh, No! Written by Candace Fleming Illustrated by Eric Rohmann Schwartz & Wade Books, c2012. 32 pages. Picture book.  This is a fantastic little picture book, created by the dream team of Candace Fleming and Eric Rohmann. If this is not a serious Caldecott contender this year, I will be greatly surprised. Brilliant and beautiful pictures compliment a simple, but fun, read-aloud tale that will delight young and old alike.  When a tiger purposely causes a little frog to fall into a deep hole in the ground, other animals quickly hurry to the rescue the hapless creature, only to find themselves joining in the frog's fate. Will they all end up as dinner for the tiger?  Read this book and find out.

The Templeton Twins Have an Idea by Ellis Weiner, illustrated by Jeremy Holmes Chronicle, 2012. 227 pgs. Fiction      On the day John and Abigail Templeton were born their father, Professor Elton Templeton-- genius-but-scatterbrained inventor--has to cut short a confrontation with a failing student to attend his children's births. Twelve years later that student Dean D. Dean wreaks revenge when he and his evil twin Dan D. Dean kidnap the Templeton twins to force their father to sign over proprietary rights to his one-man helicopter invention (a work in progress). Ellis Weiner is an intrusive narrator, always barging in to instruct, but mostly to insult, the reader; sort of like Lemony Snicket only not so snarky and, dare I say it, funnier .  Questions for Review at the end of each chapter give the reader a chance to lavish compliments on the author and to answer ridiculous questions ("What is the difference between escaping and leaving?  Write your an...

The Most Disgusting Places on the Planet By John Perritano Capstone Press, 2012. 48 pages. Non-fiction. This is the mother of all disgusting books. Tour a home in Kenya made entirely out of mud and cow poop (take note that Kenyans use every part of the cow, including drinking the blood). Follow the journey your excrement takes through the pipes to a sewer plant. Learn the science behind body decomposition at an aptly-named body farm. The tamest location is Bubble Gum Alley in San Luis Obispo, California, where tourists enjoy the tradition of sticking their already-been-chewed gum on the walls of an old alley. Is anyone still reading this book review? The book would be great for a science or environmental book report. There are scientific terms and explanations for every location, and intensely detailed photographs. But I'm not sure who to recommend this to- older readers with exceptionally strong gag reflexes or an insatiable curiosity about poop? In any case, I have a mor...

  Titanic: Voices from the Disaster by Deborah Hopkinson Scholastic Press, 2012. 289 pgs. Non-fiction.  There are many books written about the sinking of the Titanic, but this is the first one where I got to read the survivors' accounts of what happened in their own words. Filled with transcripts from the court hearings afterward and letters written by survivors, this book is a much more personal look at how the Titanic's sinking affected those who lived through it. Hearing the people speak of it in their own words is both heartbreaking and touching. I listened to this book on audio CD. The different people's accounts were each reads by a different actor, which made their stories seem all the more real. I can not recommend this book highly enough.

Amazing Giant Dinosaurs By Marie Greenwood DK, 2012. 15 pages. Nonfiction. True to its title, this book is amazing! It is a sturdy, lift-the flap book with information on some dinosaurs that are not so commonly known: Barosaurus, Giganotosaurus, Stegosaurus, Corythosaurus, Suchomimus, Euoplocephalus, and Pentaceratops. Helpfully, there are pronunciation guides on every page! There are simple maps showing where they lived, and photographs depicting how their environments look today. The bright, colorful illustrations of each dinosaur are a fun comparison to the photos of their unearthed skeletons. Some unique features of this dino book are the dinner menus for fish, veggie, or meat eaters, and how each species compares in size to humans.

Bon Appetit! The Delicious Life of Julia Child By Jessie Hartland Schwartz & Wade Books, c2012. Biography. Jessie Hartland has written and illustrated a fantastic book about the life of the incomparable Julia Child. The story is written in present tense, and the delightfully fluid illustrations will make you feel like you are on a journey through Julia's life. Her story begins in Pasadena, growing up with a personal chef and a love of eating. Her school days are filled with playing basketball- to which she was perfectly suited because of her height and size 12 feet! I loved reading about the courtship between Julia and and her future husband Paul. They fall in love in China as they work for the U.S. government, and bond over their passion for exploring new cuisine. There is, of course, much to learn about Julia's cooking career with the publication of her cookbook "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" and her television show "The French Chef." Thi...

Dear Blue Sky By Mary Sullivan Nancy Paulsen Books, 2012.  248 pages. Fiction for 4th grade+ Cassie's older brother, Sef, is the glue that holds their family together. When he leaves to fight in Iraq, Cassie must step up and try to keep the family from falling apart completely. This is not an easy responsibility for the seventh grader. Her older sister is dealing with teenage drama, her younger brother has Down Syndrome, and they all miss Sef terribly and worry about his safety. Cassie experiences a lot of anxiety with all of these challenges. As part of an assignment from school, she begins emailing with an Iraqi girl who blogs under the name "Blue Sky." Author Mary Sullivan writes honestly and convincingly from the viewpoints of these two girls, and the novel is well rounded. The characters are all lend color and poignancy to a touching story.

Otto el Oso de Libro Katie Cleminson Editorial Juventud, 2011, 23 pages, Picture Book This is the cutest bear, he loves when children read his book, but one day all changes, and he is left at the old place where the family used to live. He decides to go and find a new place. He is so small and finds the outside world too big, but finally finds just the right place to stay with so many friends he finds there, and loves it! Find out who he is and where he goes to find so many friends. Kids are going to love this book, it has a great and happy ending! Este libro de oso es muy ameno, a oso le encanta cuando los niños leen su libro, pero un día todo cambia cuando se queda en el sitio donde la familia vivía, entonces decide salir y encontrar un sitio nuevo; oso es tan pequeño que todo le parece tan grande, finalmente encuentra el sitio ideal con muchos amigos, ¡le encanta! Averigüe quien es oso y donde encuentra tantos amigos. ¡Les va a gustar mucho este libro por que tiene un final h...

The Boston Tea Party by Russell Freedman, illustrated by Peter Malone Holiday House, 2012. 39 pgs. Nonfiction.          Russell Freedman, master of children's informational literature, gives us a short but thorough account of the Boston Tea Party in his latest book. With the term "tea party" being thrown haphazardly about these days, it's good to know the facts, which Freedman delivers with his signature clarity, encyclopedic research, and interesting anecdotes from first-hand accounts. Not intimidating in the least, The Boston Tea Party is a perfect introductory volume for youngsters interested in the American Revolution.

Wedgieman: A Hero is Born Written by Charise Mericle Harper Illustrated by Bob Shea Random House, c2012.  48 pages. Easy reader. This book begins with the birth of a superhero, named Veggiebaby. Veggiebaby loves to eat any vegetables put before him. As he grows from Veggiebaby to Veggieboy to Veggieman, our hero develops many astounding super-skills in addition to his veggie loving, such as x-ray vision and shape shifting. One day, Veggieman is shopping for a new costume, and decides on a spectacular ensemble that features a big "V" on the chest. This is perfect, because it symbolizes his love of vegetables and his mission to get kids to love them, too. While shopping, Veggieman hears a cry of distress and finds a young boy trapped in a tree. Upon saving him and climbing down the tree, a v-shaped stick gets stuck to Veggieman's new outfit. Now, people think there is a "W" on Veggieman's chest and begin to call him Wedgieman! This easy reader is lot...

The Traveling Restaurant:  Jasper's Voyage in Three Parts by Barbara Else Gecko, 2012.  295 pgs. Fantasy       Jasper Ludlow is an unremarkable young man, smallish, mousy brown hair, described by others as being ten years old and "apparently not very bright."  Actually, Jasper is quite bright and is actually twelve years old, though his mother insists he is ten--has been for two years, in fact. When Lady Gall, the provisional monarch of Fontania decides to crown herself the true queen, things go terribly wrong for Jasper's family. For starters, Lady Gall tries to poison Jasper's little sister Sibilla. Then when the family flees the scene, Jasper accidentally gets left behind. Luckily he manages to get aboard The Traveling Restaurant , captained by Dr. Rocket and a younger woman in green boots named Polly. Jasper's adventures trying to find Sibilla and his parents, and to save everyone from the wicked potential queen are charming, original, a...

Moonbird:  A Year on the Wind with the Great Survivor B95 by Phillip Hoose Farrar Straus Giroux, 2012.  148 pgs. Nonfiction.       Rufa red knots are robin-sized shorebirds whose survival is threatened by habitat destruction and degradation along the over 18,000 miles of their migratory path. Nothing new there, but the red knots are particularly sturdy little birds whose migratory adaptations and patterns exemplify the extraordinary complexity and interrelatedness of nature. The knots know, as the days shorten in the Southern Hemisphere, that it is time to fly north. Storing fat for the journey, he can eat fourteen times his own weight. His stomach enlarges to accommodate the increase in food, and he becomes so fat he can barely achieve liftoff. As he leaves, his gizzard, liver, and gut shrivel, as do his leg muscles so that he doesn't have weight he doesn't need during flight. The red knot's story is told by researchers who briefly capture and b...