Provo Library Children's Book Blog

Read in Book Babies Sylvia and Bird By Catherine Rayner Good Books, 2009.  Picture Book. In a faraway place, on a high mountaintop...   A lonely, shimmer-shiny dragon meets a small, chatty bird, and their unlikely friendship saves them both.  Sylvia is the only dragon in the whole world, and she is very lonely...until one day, she meets Bird.  Tiny and chirpy, so different from the huge dragon, Bird somehow changes Sylvia's life forever...  A touching story of belonging and the power of friendship.  --Publisher Read in Toddler Time Bedtime for Yeti By Vin Vogel Dial Books for Young Readers, 2017.  Picture Book. Even brave yetis need bedtime snuggles.  Yeti and his stuffed toy Chunk do everything together.  But when Chunk goes missing, Yeti has to go to bed all by himself.  Bedtime can be pretty scary without your best friend.  Here's the thing about yetis, though--they're braver than you think!  ...

Fooled ya! How Your Brain Gets Tricked by Optical Illusions, Magicians, Hoaxes & More By Jordan D. Brown Moondance Press, 2017. 80 Pages.  Informational.  If you have a kid into magic- not of the Harry Potter wizardry variety- but card tricks and rabbits out of the hat, this is an excellent book to check out. It goes into detail about some of the tricks and common hoaxes that people use and show the slight of hand that makes it happen. It also goes into a brief overview of the brain and how your brain works to get tricked by these illusions. One of my favorite things about the book were the activities throughout that helped to apply the topics discussed. 

Hope in the Holler By Lisa Lewis Tyre Nancy Paulsen Books, 2018. Fiction, 214 p. It had always just been Wavie Conley and her mama and it worked, until her mama, Ronelda, got sick. Before Mama passed away she left Wavie with a list of instructions, including "Be brave, Wavie B.! You got as much right to a good life as anybody, so find it!" Right after the funeral Wavie is with her caseworker as a woman comes up and says " Wavie?  . . . I'm your aunt, Samantha Rose! I've come to take care of you." Wavie's mama hadn't ever mentioned a sister. The courts approve to have Samantha Rose be Wavie's temporary guardian while they work on the paperwork to make it final. She goes back to the trailer park her mama grew up in called Conley Hollow. Although she gets to sleep in her mama's old bed, in her mama's old bedroom, living with Samantha Rose and her cousin Hoyt is terrible. It becomes clear, she is only there for the family to collect ...

  Race to the Bottom of the Sea by Lindsay Eagar Candlewick, 2017. Fiction. 423 p. Fidelia Quail is totally happy living with her marine biologist parents.  Even though she is only 11, she does her own field studies and even invents new technology to help with the work. Then one day her parents parish in a storm while in a submarine Fidelia designed.  Fidelia hardly has time to mourn before she is captured by some pirates who want her to use her inventions to get a treasure that has fallen to the bottom of a bay. At first Fidelia is terrified, but after a while she begins to see that there is more to her captors than she had first supposed. This was a remarkably original and emotionally complicated story.  It reminded me a little of Holes by Louis Sachar. There are two stories going on in the narrative. One is Fidelia's story and one is a story that began years before about the pirate and his lost love.  Eagar fleshes out all the characters and s...

Ordinary, Extraordinary Jane Austen By Deborah Hopkinson Illustrated by Qin Leng Balzer and Bray, 2018. Picture book biography. If you have noticed more Jane Austen popping up than you are used to, it's likely because this year marks the 200th anniversary of her death. For many readers, Jane Austen is an author who hardly needs introduction - her stories are now so famous. But for young readers in search of a good introduction, here are two good picture books to fit the bill. ORDINARY EXTRAORDINARY JANE AUSTEN is a beautiful, gentle and matter-of-fact introduction to a famous author that focuses on the key appeal of her books - they are about ordinary people in ordinary circumstances. Readers may not yet appreciate this nuance, but it will provide a great foundation when they grow up to read Jane Austen novels. Brave Jane Austen: Reader, Writer, Author, Rebel By Lisa Pliscou Illustrated by Jen Corace Christy Ottaviano Books, 2018. Picture book biography. In c...

Mez’s Magic By Eliot Schrefer HarperCollins Publishers, 2018. 357 p. This is the first book in a new series called Lost Rainforest . In it Mez, who is a panther twin, is different from all the other panthers in her family. She can stay awake during daylight hours. (In this world the nocturnal animals can’t wake up during the day and the daylight animals cannot wake up at night.) But Mez can be awake anytime. Mez meets a green boa constrictor that tells her there are other animals that can be awake when they aren’t supposed to—and they all have magic. This magic needs to be used to save Caldera from the evil Ant Queen who is about to break free from her long imprisonment. Readers who love animal stories full of magic and adventure (think fans of the Redwall or Warriors series) will enjoy this book. The jungle setting provides a great assortment of various animals (since most animal species tend to live in jungles) to be introduced in this series. Also, there will be many tal...

Read in Book Babies The Story of Fish & Snail By Deborah Freedman Viking, 2013.  Picture Book. Every day, Snail waits for Fish to come home with a new story.  Today, Fish's story is too grand simply to be told:  Fish wants to show  Snail.  But that would mean leaving the familiar world of their book--a scary prospect for Snail, who would rather stay safely at home and pretend to be kittens.  Fish scoffs; Snail snaps back.  Is this book too small for the two feuding friends?  Freedman has created a sweet and playful story about friendship that truly jumps off the page.  --Publisher Read in Toddler Time Oh No! A Fox! By Janet Morgan Stoeke Dial Books for Young Readers, 2014.  Picture Book. Midge, Pip, and Dot are hens.  They live on Loopy Coop Farm.  One night, a fox finds their coop.  Oh no!  The hens need help.  Who will help?  What about Rooster Sam?  No help....

Seven Ways to Trick a Troll  By Lise Lunge Larsen Illustrated by Kari Vick University of Minnesota Press, 2017. Informational Picture Book. Trolls are unfortunately a pesky part of our day to day life. If you have ever wondered how to trick those trolls, this book is for you! Here are some need to know basics on trolls and their weaknesses. 1. Trolls hate loud noises, especially the sound of bells. 2. Trolls burst if they get too mad. 3. Sunlight turns trolls into stone. 4. Reflected sunshine turns trolls to stone. 5. Trolls are easily distracted. 6. Trolls cannot swim. 7. Trolls are heavy and clumsy. "To defeat a troll, you must draw on the very best of your humanity: you must have courage, patience, intelligence, kindness, the ability to work with others, and plenty of moxie. This book includes an introduction of trolls in Norse mythology, a story that coincides with each troll weakness showing how to use their weaknesses against them and some really lovel...

Learn to Draw Disney's Classic Animated Movies Illustrated by The Disney Storybook Artists Walter Forest Jr., 2016. Informational. I was lucky enough to go to Disneyland this year. I miss it. My family misses it. It was a lot of fun. One of our favorite activities we did in Disney's California Adventure was the drawing classes offered in the animation studio. We ended up going to two different hands-on classes taught by Disney artists. They describe shape by shape and step by step how to draw a character in 30 minutes. When I saw this library edition of Learn to Draw Disney's Classic Animated Movies I immediately brought it home. There are several characters broken down by shape with steps to guide a beginning artist to draw these famous characters. The whole family is excited to pretend we are in our class, in Disneyland, but from the comfort of our own home. There are several different volumes. Check them out from the informational section.

  Ahimsa by Supriya Kilkar Lee & Low Books, 2017, Fiction. 307 p. Anjali lives as a Brahman in a smallish town in India during the time of Gandhi. Her father is a professor and her mother works as a translator for the top British official in her village. One day her mother realizes she can no longer support the injustices she sees in her employer's service and instead joins the resistance movement. At first Anjali is reluctant to join her mother in wearing only homespun cloth and serving the "untouchables" but soon she comes to adopt the principals of Ahimsa (non-violence) and the brotherhood of all people.  Here is a book that allows the reader to get a glimpse into another time and culture. Ghandi's vision of a world where there is freedom and equality for all people is especially relevant today.  Kilkar shows how one girl's small sacrifices for the cause of good really can make a difference.

Raid of No Return Nathan Hale Amulet Books, 2017. Graphic Novel, 124 p. In the latest book in Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales Nathan Hale tells Hangman and Provost all about a raid in WWII where American’s dropped bombs on Japan in retaliation for the devastation in Pearl Harbor. Once again Hale (the author not the character in the book) peppers humor with the historical facts and details of this dangerous mission. (I dare any of you to not laugh as Hangman pretends to be an airplane.) Even though this raid was not as successful as hoped, it was an important part of WWII and this book sheds light as to why. This book is another great addition to this series.

Read in Book Babies I Am (Not) Scared Written by Anna Kang Illustrated by Christopher Weyant Two Lions, 2017.  Picture Book. Two fuzzy friends go to an amusement park. They try to convince each other that there are much scarier things than the roller coaster. Hairy spiders! Aliens! Fried ants! They soon discover that sometimes being scared isn’t as “scary” as they thought. With expressive illustrations and simple text, this giggle-inducing tale about (not) being scared features the endearing characters from the Theodor Seuss Geisel Award­ winner You Are (Not) Small .  --Publisher Read in Toddler Time Squeak, Rhumble, Whomp! Whomp! Whomp! Written by Wynton Marsalis Illustrated by Paul Rogers Candlewick Press, 2012.  Picture Book. Squeak.  Eek.  Speak.  What's that sound?  The back door, accompanied by a nosy mouse and a sister's sax!  Join world-renowned jazz musician and composer Wynton Marsalis and acclaim...

Something Very Sad Happened: A toddler's guide to understanding death By Bonnie Zucker Illustrated by Kim Fleming Magination Press, American Psychological Association, 2016. Informational picture book When my youngest siblings were a pair of particularly energetic 4-year-olds, a harrowing adventure resulted in the untimely death of one of the new kittens. I recall them realizing, for the first time, what dying actually meant, and it was kind of traumatic.  It's difficult to teach young children the impact death has, but this book tries to. With some sweet simple words that can be tailored to your particular situation, Zucker walks the child through what death might mean to them and those they love. There is also some helpful guidelines for parents of young children.

The Boo-Boos that Changed the World By Barry Wittenstein Illustrated by Chris Hsu Charlesbridge, 2018. Informational picture book. I remember reading a book in elementary school with interesting stories of how household items were invented. The Band-Aid was included and I have always remembered the basics of the story. The inventor's wife was constantly getting cuts. He wanted a way for her to bandage the cuts easily and by herself while he was at work. I liked the story. Truly, all Band-Aids have some kind of magic power that takes away pain, because my kids have always been appeased by having a Band-Aid placed on their little scrapes. Wittenstein has created an informative, funny, true story of Earle Dickson and his wife Josephine. I learned more details to the story I remembered from my childhood. Wittenstein goes through the beginnings of Band-Aids and the stumbling blocks that were overcome. The product was great, but getting the public to learn about Band-aids and t...

Hero is a Four Letter Word (Recess Warrior, #1) By Marcus Emerson Roaring Brook Press, 2017 (2014 c). Comics. 133 p. Scrap, AKA Bryce, is the playground superhero. His best friend, Yoshi, is the toughest girl in school. Together they face down cootie ridden zombies and crazed female pirates. This is an amazingly clever comic book about the imaginary life on a school playground. Emerson includes the classic stereotypes; the girl that is always trying to kiss everyone, the boy who acts like a cowboy, the kid who talks like a TV narrator, the science nerd kid. There is a lot of talk about bases, and territories, and getting cooties. I am always impressed when an adult author taps into their younger self and captures what it is like to be a 4th grader again.  I honestly chuckled all the way through this one. 

Her Right Foot By Dave Eggers Illustrated by Shawn Harris Chronicle Books, 2017. Informational. The worst way to start a book review is to say that it is cool, but this book is cool. This book tells the story of the Statue of Liberty in a way that is humorous, interesting, and informative - to say this text is well-written would undersell how enjoyable it is to read. Because not only does this book tell the story of how the Statue of Liberty came to stand in New York - it tells us why. It reminds us that the Statue of Liberty has welcomed millions of immigrants to the United States and will continue to do so. This book is timely, to say the least, and though it is longer than many picture books it never feels too long. The text is highlighted by construction paper collage in solid colors that provide lots of views of the Statue of Liberty and of immigrants in America. This book is different from so many children's informational books and it stands out in its uniqueness.  ...

Something’s Fishy  Jean Gourounas Phaion Press Limited, 2017. Picture Book.  This is a humorous book to read in the wintertime—although I do understand that all the various animals would not be together in friendly terms nor would a penguin be randomly hanging out with other arctic animals… A penguin is ice fishing. Along comes an arctic hare and asks what the penguin is doing. The response of “Shh!”does not deter the hare from sticking around to see what the penguin might catch. Next comes a walrus followed by a seal, a reindeer, a human, a polar bear, and a moose. Gourounas throws in a clever twist with the ice fishing (that is just as unlikely as a penguin hanging out with the arctic animals) but is fun to read. This will be a great book for kids who are all about the joy of anticipation only to discover it isn’t quite what they expected.

Petra By Marianna Coppo Tundra Books, 2018. Picture Book. Petra is more than a rock. She is a mountain, an island, and an egg. She is fearless and strong. She is always up for an adventure. This is a delightful read about imagination, seeing the positive in any situation, and being open to new possibilities. The book is worth the read for the last page alone. Do not miss out of this great find!

Read in Book Babies Toucans, Too By Bethanie Deeney Murguia Little Bee Books, 2017.  Picture Book. This hilarious follow-up book to Cockatoo, Too features cockatoos, toucans, two-can stew, and gnus!   One can. Two cans. Toucans?   Toucans, too.   Toucan stew???!   The cockatoos are back, and the toucans are too! But the toucans think the cockatoos say "toucan stew" and run away in a toucan canoe, so the cockatoos make them some two-can stew, which attracts the gnus, who ask the reader, "Can gnu?"  --Publisher Read in Toddler Time Monkey Truck By Michael Slack Henry Holt and Company, 2011.  Picture Book. Monkey Truck has a mission!  He's on the lookout for all sorts of jungle bungles--there are chameleons to rescue before they get squashed, snakes to untangle, and hippos to pull free.  And look out for that TSUNAMI!  This playful picture book is perfect for preschoolers who like to be...