Provo Library Children's Book Blog

Stepping Stones: A Refugee Family’s Journey By Margriet Ruurs, art by Nizar Ali Badr Orca, 2016. Picture book. Nizar Ali Badr is a Syrian artist who collects stones on the beach and uses them to create beautiful art in the midst of a war-torn country, often too poor to afford even the glue that would make his art more permanent. When Canadian author Margriet Ruurs happened upon photographs of Badr’s work on the internet, she knew she wanted to use his art to create a story about refugees who are forced to flee from his homeland and other countries. Badr’s beautiful and emotional scenes pair nicely with the story of a girl named Rama who is forced to flee her homeland but finds comfort in her family and hope in a new land. With text in both English and Arabic, this is a wonderful introduction for children to the refugee experience. Part of the proceeds of this book go to refugee families.

Goodnight Everyone  By Chris Haughton Candlewick Press, 2016. If you are like me you might know many little readers who require a story before being tucked into bed—and perhaps these same readers sometimes deny the fact that they are tired and should go to bed (even if they obviously are bordering that cranky frenzy where they fight sleep with all their might). Well, this is another story to add to the “let’s read a calm book that will hopefully help get you in the right mood to fall asleep” type of genre. In this book there are four animals that are starting to get sleepy: mice, hares, deer, and bears. All of the animals—except one—acknowledge how sleepy they are and are quite content to get ready for bed. But Little Bear is wide awake. Little Bear wants to play. However, as all grownups know too well, eventually Great Big Bear watches Little Bear yawn. With all the rest of the animals sleeping, and a kiss goodnight, soon Little Bear is sound asleep as well. With illustr...

A Greyhound, A Groundhog By Emily Jenkins Illustrated by Chris Appelhaus Schwartz & Wade Books, 2017. Picture Book. Just in time for Groundhog Day, this new tongue twister picture book showcases what happens when a groundhog and a greyhound go around and around (and around) playing together. Appelhaus’ watercolor illustrations are the perfect accompaniment to the animal friends adventure. Makes for a great read aloud; just try to read it without tripping up!

Read in Book Babies Edgar Gets Ready for Bed Written by Jennifer Adams Illustrated by Ron Stucki Gibbs Smith, Inc., 2014.  Picture Book. Edgar the Raven is being a pill.  He won't finish his vegetables, he won't be nice to his sister, and he won't clean his room.  Every time Mom asks him to do something, he exclaims "Nevermore!"  But when he finally settles down for a bedtime story, she promises to love him "evermore."  A humorous nod to Poe's "The Raven," grownups will enjoy this installment of the BabyLit series just as much (if not more) than little ones! Read in Toddler Time I'm the Biggest Thing in the Ocean By Kevin Sherry Dial Books for Young Readers, 2007.  Picture Book. Giant Squid is so proud that he's the biggest thing in the ocean!  He's bigger than all of the other sea creatures he sees.  He's bigger than clams, jellyfish, and sharks.  Then he encounters a whale tha...

Lindbergh: The Tale of a Flying Mouse Written by Torbin Kuhlmann Illustrated by Suzanne Levesque North-South, 2014. Intermediate. Aviation! Mousetraps! Invention! Killer Owls! Immigration! The American Dream! Cats! Honestly, what doesn't this tale have? Check out this beautifully illustrated story about Lindbergh, a flying mouse who completes a transatlantic flight in a reverse course than the one flown by the aviator of the same name. Lindbergh has to scale new heights of mechanical invention in order to make it to America, a place where there are no cats. 

The Music in George's Head: George Gershwin Creates Rhapsody in Blue Written by Suzanne Slade Illustrated by Stacy Innerst Calkins Creek, 2016. Informational. George Gershwin collected sounds and music from wherever he went to fill his head. He heard classical music, blues music, jazz music, and the sounds of New York City and they filled his head with razzmatazz. Then, on February 12, 1924, George is scheduled to perform his masterpiece - he sits in front of the piano with no sheet music as the clarinet player slides up eighteen notes and he begins to play the music he had been collecting in his head. The swirling text and illustrations (in blue, of course) sway and grow and twist with the sounds and music they are meant to be describing. The beautiful illustrations of this book should appeal to someone with no knowledge of George Gershwin and little interest in his music. Of course, this book will appeal even more to those who are familiar with Rhapsody in Blue and are ...

Anna Hibiscus Written by Atinuke Illustrated by Lauren Tobia Kane Miller, 2010. Intermediate. 109 p. This joyful J Intermediate chapter book is about Anna Hibiscus and her big family living in modern, urban Africa. Atinuke, a professional storyteller from Nigeria, writes in a style that is reminiscent of the oral tradition, which makes this book excellent for reading aloud. Each lively chapter explores the relationship between tradition and modernity that Anna Hibiscus experiences in and around her home. These ideas are addressed productively and may prompt some worthwhile discussion during reading, but the book is cheerful and funny even while encouraging cultural consciousness.

Skunked! (Calpurnia Tate: Girl Vet #1) by Jacqueline Kelly Henry Holt and Co. 2016. Intermediate. 105 p. When Travis, Calpurnia's animal - loving brother, finds an orphaned baby skunk, he just can't leave it to die in the forest. He brings it home and hides it in the barn, hoping to raise it as a pet. Calpurnia thinks he is crazy, but has a soft spot for her kindhearted brother. Mayhem and much smelliness ensue as they try to care for the skunk (and later, skunks, plural), without their parents finding out. This chapter book has received some starred reviews, and with good reason.  It is a short, simple story, with funny scenes and child-friendly illustrations. The sweet sibling relationship that permeates the whole is an added bonus. This is a great choice for kids who like the Akimbo and Tales from Deckawoo Drive series.

The Hundred Dresses By Eleanor Estes In winning a medal she is no longer there to receive, a tight-lipped little Polish girl teaches her classmates a lesson. D is for Dress-Up: The ABCs of What We Wear  By Maria Carluccio Celebrating the creativity of what we wear, this playful fashion alphabet introduces key terms for dressing and dressing up, from apron to zippers. The Time Traveling Fashionista By Bianca Turetsky  Twelve-year-old Louise Lambert accepts an invitation to a private sale of vintage clothing but upon donning an evening gown, she finds herself in 1912 aboard the Titanic as the gown's original owner, silent film star Alice Baxter. Fashion Rebels: Style Icons Who Changed the World Through Fashion By Carlyn Cerniglia Beccia Throughout history, daring women have wielded power and brought about change through their bold fashion choices. Fashion Rebels is a collection of lively, illustrated biographies of twenty-five of these influential fash...

The Alphabet from the Sky By Benedikt Gross & Joey Lee Price Stern Sloan, 2016. Picture book. This simple ABC book offers a satellite image on each page of different American cities, their precise latitude and longitude, and somewhere in each picture, a hidden letter of the alphabet created by the landscape or buildings. Searching for the hidden ABCs is fun for young and old in this clever blend of geography, shapes, and letters.

What a wonderful day it is already! This morning ALA announced the 2017 Youth Media Awards. And I couldn't be happier with the picks! You can read all about all of the Youth Media Awards here . Gene Nelson, Provo City Library Director and the rest of the Newbery Committee picked The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill as the award winner...which was our library's Mock Newbery pick ! I for one am excited that the rest of the committee agreed about just how wonderful this book is! And I am pretty excited about those honor books as well. The Provo City Library's Mock Caldecott didn't do quite as well as our Mock Newbery. (But we did get two right...just not the winner.) The Caldecott Committee picked Radiant Child: The Story of Young Artist Jean-Michel Basquiat illustrated (and written) by Javaka Steptoe as their winner. The day they announce these winners is seriously one of my favorite days! (And not just because my reading list gets twice as lon...

Monster Park! By Annie Bach Monster's having a fun time at the park—swinging and sliding, swirling and twirling, and riding the whirly-whirl. When it's time to go, though, Monster says "NO!" But all's okay because Monster can return another day. Monster Party! By Annie Bach Monster's invited—and monster's delighted! Come and join the monster bash. There's spinning and pinning, high-fiving and jiving, and munching, crunching, and buggy-food lunching. But when it all ends, Monster must leave his fun-loving friends. There's crying and sighing—until Monster discovers a happy surprise waiting for him at home. Mrs. Mo’s Monster By Paul Beavis A monster with a one-track mind meets his match in an elderly lady called Mrs. Mo. With Mrs. Mo's help, the monster is surprised to discover that he can do more than he ever thought.  Monster Mash By David Catrow In this illustrated version of the classic novelty song, a mad scientist's monst...

Read in Book Babies Is Everyone Ready for Fun? By Jan Thomas Beach Lane Books, 2011.  Picture Book. Three grinning cows are ready to have some fun!  Unfortunately for Chicken, their idea of fun is jumping, dancing, and wiggling to and fro on Chicken's sofa.  Will they finally find a sofa activity that Chicken will be happy about?  You bet, because rowdy cows need naps too!  Thomas' bold illustrations are perfect for the youngest of readers, and this book is an excellent choice for kiddos (and parents) who enjoy a good giggle! Read in Toddler Time The Napping House Written by Audrey Wood Illustrated by Don Wood Harcourt, Inc., 1984.  Picture Book. It's a cozy, rainy day in the house, and Granny is napping, but she's not alone.  Into the bed climb the child, the dog, and the cat.  But it's one last guest that changes everything!  Illustrations created from beautiful oil paintings inspire feelings of n...

Pass the Pandowdy, Please: Chewing on History with Famous Figures and Their Favorite Foods Written by Abigail Ewing Zelz Illustrated by Eric Zelz Tilbury House, 2016. Informational. All of the most famous figures in history have one important thing in common - they all had a favorite food. These famous foods tell us a lot about the famous people who ate them like Napoleon Bonaparte, who ate dinner alone and would make such a mess eating that he had to change into clean clothes when he was done. This fun and beautifully illustrated book tells the stories of people most kids have heard of, in a way they've never heard them before. This book introduces young readers to history with light and humorous anecdotes and plenty of additional references for any kids who are interested in digging a little deeper. I was pleasantly surprised that this book also dives a little into the history of food - there's a fun timeline with recognizable events like "Civil War begins in t...

Brandon Sanderson is one of the big names in children's, teen's and adult fantasy and he is coming to speak at the Library.   Free tickets for his AuthorLink talk at the Provo City Library will be available starting January 18th.  His talk is February 1st, at 7:00 p.m. Alcatraz Vs. the Evil Librarians (Alcatraz Vs. the Evil Librarian #1) By Brandon Sanderson Starscape, 2016, (c 2007). Fiction. 319 p. On his 13th birthday, Alcatraz, who has been raised in the foster system, discovers that he, like the rest of his family, has an unusual special power.  He also finds out that his family, the Smedries, are the sworn opponents of the Evil Librarians, a secret society that seeks to control the world. The Scrivener's Bones (Alcatraz Vs. the Evil Librarian #2) By Brandon Sanderson Starscape, 2016, (c 2008). Fiction. 367 p. Alcatraz Smedry goes in search of his father and grandfather in the Library of Alexandria.  The library is guarded by wraiths, other monst...

Frozen Wild By Jim Arnosky Describes how some animals survive in frigid regions, including muskrats, walruses, and the Arctic fox. The Three Snow Bears By Jan Brett Retells the story of Goldilocks, set in an Inuit village and featuring a family of polar bears. Whale Snow By Debby Dahl Edwardson At the first whaling feast of the season, a young Inupiat boy learns about the importance of the bowhead whale to his people and their culture. Includes facts about Inupiats and the bowhead whale. Winter Lights By Anna Grossnickle Hines Rich, luminous fabrics. Eleven miles of thread. An uncountable number of stitches. Clear, sparkling words. With these ingredients Anna Grossnickle Hines celebrates the lights that brighten the darkest season of our year. In poems and quilts she captures each heartening glow and flicker, from the moon and aurora borealis to the holiday lights of Santa Lucia, Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, and Chinese New Year to one lone candle and a hidden flashli...

Lesser Spotted Animals: The Coolest Creatures You’ve Never Heard Of  By Martin Brown Scholastic Inc, 2016. 53 p. There are so many books on animals here at the library. Animal science is interesting! However, most of the books on animals are about animals most readers have already heard of (lions and tigers and bears or the like). Not this book. This book is about all the nifty animals that most people have never heard of. There are facts about animals like the Cuban Solenodon (the “shaggy Caribbean insectivore with a toxic bite”) or the Banded Linsang (the “stealthy stalker of Southeast Asian treetops”) just to name a couple. This book is clever and funny and informational. It explains that while some animals (like elephants) are cool and people know about them…they should also know about the Russian Desman (the “swampy insectivore with a sensational snout” that has many functions similar to an elephant). This book not only tells facts about unusual animals…it also tells y...

The Backwards Birthday Party By Tom Chapin At the backwards birthday party, a donkey pins the tail on the guests, the ice cream is hot, and the candles are not. Rocky and Daisy and the Birthday Party By Melinda Melton Crow It is their human friend Owen's birthday, and Rocky and Daisy want to participate in the preparations--and share in the food. Birthday Bash! By Melinda La Rose It's Jake's birthday! To celebrate this special day, Jake's crew has created a special treasure map for him that will lead to fun birthday activities. Like a true Never Land pirate, Jake decides to invite that sneaky snook, Captain Hook, and Mr. Smee to join in the fun. But something is wrong ... could it be that this cranky old Captain never had his own birthday party?  Bigfoot Does Not Like Birthday Parties By Eric Ode  In the town of Mossy Pockets, the residents throw a birthday party for reluctant Bigfoot. The party excitement builds until it all comes to a pie-smashing disa...

Genuine Sweet by Faith Harkey Clarion Books/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2015 Fiction, 277 pgs. I have to admit that this isn't the most well-written book ever published. That being said, my 10-yr-old sister absolutely loved it. And, just as the title indicates, it is pretty sweet. Genuine Sweet lives in a small, worn-down town in Georgia. Life is hard for everyone, but Genuine feels pretty sure her life is the toughest. With her mama dead and her dad the town drunk, Genuine and her grandma are barely getting along. Then, one day her grandma shares a secret with her, a secret passed from mother to daughter for generations: how to call down wishes from the stars. There's only one rule to this wish catching magic: you can't use it for yourself. This new found power is going to make Genuine's little town a lot cheerier, but along the way Genuine is going to have to learn about love, sacrifice, and that life is what you make it, not what you wish for.