Provo Library Children's Book Blog

Meet Dizzy Dinosaur! By Jack Tickle Tiger Tales, 2015. Picture Book Readers not only meet Dizzy, a friendly stegosaurus, but get to interact with him through engaging text that invites them to help Dizzy dry off after he falls into a pond by shaking the book or give him a kiss when he gets a bump on the nose. The colors and illustrations fit perfectly with the playful Dizzy. Young dinosaur fans will love reading this book over and over.

A Crankenstein Valentine By Samantha Berger Illustrated by Dan Santat Little, Brown and Company, 2014. Picture Book Crankenstein is a boy who hates Valentine’s Day and everything that it entails—such as eating heart-shaped sandwiches, writing gushy valentines, and wearing heart undies in the school play. Luckily, his best friend feels exactly the same way. The cover made me pick up the book even though the holiday has come and gone, and I’m glad it caught my eye. The perfect combination of Santat’s illustrations and Berger’s text makes this humorous picture book one of my favorites for Valentine’s Day and any day.

Dream On  (Whatever After #4) By Sarah Mlynowski Scholastic, 2014. Ficton. 157 p. Abby is having her first sleep over party in her new home with her new best friend, Robin. Robin inadvertently triggers the magic mirror in Abby's basement and is transported into the story of Sleeping Beauty where she accidentally pricks herself on the evil fairy's spindle and falls asleep.  Abby and her brother, Jonah, must then find a way to wake Robin up and help the real princess fall asleep so she can be rescued by a prince and fulfill her destiny.  It is not an easy task, especially with 13 hard-to-please fairies involved.  This is the fourth in the popular "Whatever After" series.  Abby and Jonah are plucky and endearing characters, and Mlynowski always seems to work in a simple life lesson into each story. This is a great choice for a child who is ready to move on from the "Magic Tree House" series.

Honey By Sarah Weeks Scholastic, 2015. Fiction. 152 p Melody's mother died when Melody was born.  Since then the ten-year-old has been wishing that her father could find someone new.  One day she overhears her father call someone "honey" on the phone and she begins to hope that her wish will come true.  Now she is on a quest with her best friend, Nick, and the pesky little neighbor girl, Teeny, to discover who this "honey" is.  In the process she makes a new friend and learns a little more about her own biological mother.  This sweet family story is told from the point of view of three characters:  Melody, Bee Bee, a new hair dresser in town who is obsessed with bees, and Bee-Bee's dog, Mo.  Weeks does a good job of tying the three points of view together to keep the reader engaged with the story and eager to figure out several little mysteries along the way. This is a good choice for early or middle grade readers who enjoyed Junie B. Jones or ...

Fairy By David Bouchard This is a one-of-a-kind fairy. No gauzy dresses or flowing tresses for her. No delicate wand with a sparkly tip. She rides a Harley and brandishes a wand of leather. Her hair flies behind her in long braids. Her job is to look after the magical need of the children on the street. And no child needs to worry when she is around! Jethro Byrd Fairy Child By Bob Graham Annabelle finds a family of fairies in the cement and weeds, and they sing and dance for her when she gives them tea. Sylva and the Fairy Ball By Margaret McNamera Sylva Bell is not old enough to attend the Fairy Ball with her sisters Clara, Rosy, and Golden, but when a horde of trolls crashes the ball, Sylva bravely comes to the rescue. The Hunter’s Moon By O.R. Melling Two teenage cousins, one Irish, the other from the United States, set out to find a magic doorway to the Faraway Country, where humans must bow to the little people. The Tiptoe Guide to Tracking Fairies By Ammi Joan...

My Little Book of Space by Peter Grego QEB Publishing, 2014. Nonfiction Many children, even fairly small children, are interested in space, but many nonfiction books about space have to much text for younger readers.  Here is a new informational book about space, that is formatted like a "big kid" book about the universe, but with much less text.  Each spread deals with one topic, such as "The Solar System" or "Jupiter."  It has a few photographs or diagrams about the topic, and a few interesting facts.  There are no more than 25 or 30 words per page, so it won't overwhelm young scientists.  New or difficult terms are explained in a glossary at the back of the book. The illustrations are nicely done, and are set against a black background that make the colors pop. This is a great STEM choice on a first or second grade reading level or for parents to share with an even younger child.

  Spots in a Box by Helen Ward Templar Books, 2014. Picture Book There once was a guinea fowl who was born without any spots. The determined fowl decides to order some for himself, but when he opens the boxes they come in, they are not what he expects. Some spots are too big and some are too small.  Others are flashy or splashy, or not even spots at all.  Will the poor bird ever find the right kind of spots so he can look like his friends?   Ward's fun, snappy, story is written in rollicking rhyme reminiscent of Dr. Seuss.  The style of the illustrations are almost photo-realistic, but Ward uses crazy "camera" angles, dye cut holes, and other add-on's to make the pictures match the silly mood of the text. This book would make a great read aloud for a crowd or would be a good choice for a younger reader who is becoming confident with early readers.

A Dark Inheritance  UNICORNE Files #1 By Chris D'Lacey Scholastic, 2014. Fiction, 291 p. Michael Malone lives with his mother and sister, but his father disappeared while on a business trip a few years earlier.  One day on the way to school Michael happens to save a dog who is trapped on the edge of a cliff.  When he does, something supernatural happens that alters Michael's reality a little.  No one else seems to notice that there was a change.  Michael finds out that he has the ability to jump between multi-verses into parallel realities.  He also discovers there is an organization that monitors this kind of thing call the Black Unicorne and that the organization is mixed up in his father's disappearance.  Michael agrees to help them solve the mystery of the dog on the cliff in return for information about his father. This is an engaging psychological thriller by the author of the successful Last Dragon series. D'Lacey uses fast pacing, murk...

Waggers by Stacy Nyikos Illustrated by Tamara Aneg ó n Sky Pony Press, 2014. Picture Book Waggers has the longest, waggiest tale a dog ever had.  When Waggers gets excited and wags his tale, disasters happen.  The cookie dough, the lamp, the curtain, or whatever is nearest goes flying.  Moni and Michael love their dog, tail or not, but after a while Mom and Dad decide that their house can't stand one more wag.  Waggers must be sent back to the animal shelter. On Wagger's last night at home, Mom and Dad let Michael and Moni sleep outside with their dog and discover that Wagger's tail does have some good uses. Wagger's story is told with simple text and funny, action filled, illustrations. Getting used to a new dog is not easy for children or adults. This book encourages young readers, and their parents, to be patient and look for the good in any new situation. 

  A Penguin Named Patience: a Hurricane Katrina Rescue Story by Suzanne Lewis Illustrated by Lisa Anchin Sleeping Bear Press, 2015. Picture Book Hurricane Katrina in 2005 was one of the greatest natural disasters in our country's history.  Much has been written about the human toll of the hurricane, but here is a story about how some of the animals survived the disaster. Patience is a penguin at the Audubon Aquarium in New Orleans. Patience and her 18 penguin friends are in danger when the power goes out and their climate control and water filtration systems stop working. The Aquarium arranges to have them transported to the Monterey Bay Aquarium where they stay for nine months until their habitat can be repaired. Patience has to be patient, but finally makes it back home. The simple story is illustrated with child friendly,  light filled watercolors. 

Tractors in Action By Peter Brady Discusses the history, function, and workings of tractors. The Funny Farm By Michael Dahl A compilation of jokes about dogs, cats, duck, snakes, bears and other animals. An A-Maze-ing Farm Adventure By Jill Katz Use your finger to find your way out of several farm mazes without getting hung up in the hay or detoured by the cows. Meet the Dogs of Bedlam Farm By Jon Katz Contains photographs and stories of Rose, Izzy, Frieda, and Lenore, four dogs that perform various jobs on Bedlam Farm. Tuttle’s Red Barn: The Story of America's Oldest Family Farm By Richard Michelson In 1632, John Tuttle set sail from England to Dover, New Hampshire and there he set up a farm on seven acres of land. From those humble beginnings the Tuttle family story became America's story. Origami Farm Animals By Lisa Miles Learn basic folding techniques and common bases while creating ducks, pigs, roosters, and more out of paper. Fun tidbits about eac...

Wham! It’s a Poetry Jam By Sara Holbrook A guide to performing poetry alone and in groups; includes guidelines to set up poetry-performance contests. American Poems Edited by John Hollander Contains a collection of poetry that spans two centuries and provides a diverse point of view of American life. Animal Poems Edited by John Hollander The writers include Blake, Dickinson, Tennyson, Yeats, Wordsworth, and Keats. The captivating paintings by Simona Mulazanni make every page a delight. And the subject—animals, big and small, wild and tame— has an irresistible appeal to children. Oops! By Alan Katz A collection of humorous poems for children. Once Upon a Tomb: Gravely Humorous Verses By J. Patrick Lewis Clever puns and elaborately detailed, surreal artwork illuminate a collection of comically grim verses that can't help but tickle the funny bone. William Blake Edited by John Maynard A collection of illustrated poems enjoyable for children selected from the w...

  A Plague of Bogles by Catherine Jinks Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2015.  321 pgs. Fantasy      Second in Catherine Jinks' delightful Bogles' series, following How to Catch a Bogle , A Plague of Bogles finds young Jem hoping to catch on as a bogler's apprentice with Alfred Bunce since Birdie, his former apprentice has been taken into the custody and care of Miss Eames and becoming a genteel young thing. Alfred is understandably reluctant to get any youngster into the bogling business since bogles eat children, but the only way to capture and destroy them is with a child as bait. Jem hangs around until a plague of bogles erupts in Newgate - an unusual occurrence, since bogles usually work alone - and Albert has to take action. Why are so many, the boglers wonder? and why are they so icky and powerful? Birdie and Miss Eames make a token appearance, but this time the show is mostly Jem's, who besides dealing with such monsters as a bogle who arms were atta...

The End of the Rainbow (I Like to Read) by Liza Donnelly Holiday House, 2015. Easy Reader What is at the end of a rainbow?  An adventurous girl and her cat go on a quest to find out.  Along the way they are joined by a rabbit, a bird, and other forest creatures.  Each has its own idea of what might be at the end of the rainbow.  When they finally arrive, they find the greatest treasure of all.  Here is a tale for the youngest readers.  The text is short, with only a few words per page.  The words are mostly common sight words, and many are repeated as the heroine meets each new friend.  The text  is supported by cartoon illustrations that will give new readers clues as they decode unfamiliar words. Find this fun little adventure in the Easy Reader section.