Provo Library Children's Book Blog

The Rose Legacy Jessica Day George Bloomsbury, 2018. 272 p. In this first in a new series Anthea Cross-Thornley is an orphan who was passed around from relative to relative. Eventually she finds her way to Uncle Andrew’s place—called Last Farm—across the border wall to the kingdom where exiles and fugitives are sent. Anthea there discovers that Uncle Andrew raises horses. All her live Anthea was taught that horses carried diseases and are evil. So when she is unexpectedly thrown in the midst of a horse farm she of course is a little concerned. When she meets the stallion Florian and discovers that she has “the way” or a strong connection to horses (in that she can feel their thoughts and talk to them) Anthea becomes confused. She must not only discover who she is and what she thinks about horses, but Anthea must decide where her loyalties lie and how in the world she can reconcile the fact that she is supposed to hate an animal that she has such a strong connection to. This...

Read in Book Babies Hello Hello By Brendan Wenzel Chronicle Books, 2018.  Picture Book. Say hello to many amazing animals.  Some are huge.  Some are tiny.  Some are soft and shaggy.  Some are rough and scaly.  Some are brightly colored.  Others are richly patterned.  It's easy to see how they are different from one another.  But can you tell what makes them the same?  In the hands of Caldecott Honor-winning author-illustrator Brendan Wenzel, a seemingly simple look at similarities and differences becomes a story of connection--a joyous ode to the natural world, in all its diversity and wonder.  --Publisher Read in Toddler Time One Day in the Eucalyptus, Eucalyptus Tree Written by Daniel Bernstrom Illustrated by Brendan Wenzel One day in the leaves of the eucalyptus tree hung a scare in the air where no eye could see, when along skipped a boy with a whirly-twirly toy, to the shade of the eucalyptus, euc...

A World Full of Animal Stories: 50 Folktales and Legends By Angela McAllister Illustrated by Aitch Frances Lincoln Children's Books, 2017. Informational.  If you have an animal lover in your home, this is a great book to pick up to find legends or folktales about different animals, separated into different regions from around the world. You'll find some familiar characters such as The Three Billy Goats Gruff (Norway)  or  The Ugly Duckling (Denmark) and also find folktales of different animals histories. Most of these tales will be new to readers. The illustrations are simply magical and it was fun to read the different folktales from around the world. 

Be Kind By Pat Zietlow Miller Illustrated by Jen Hill Roaring Book Press, 2018. Picture Book. When his classmate spills her grape juice on herself and everyone laughs, a young boy thinks about how he could respond to the situation, besides just not laughing. He thinks of all the ways on what being kind means--giving, helping and paying attention. He comes to the conclusion that one small act can make a difference and even if you can’t change the situation, you can help brighten someone’s day by being kind. A great book, told in a genuine child’s perspective, about what being kind, even when it's hard, means. A must have for all collections.

Baby Monkey, Private Eye by Brian Selznick and David Sterlin Scholastic, 2018. Easy Reader, 191 p. Baby Monkey is a baby and a monkey, but he is also a private eye.  When the baker has loses his pizza or the clown has loses his clown nose Baby Monkey knows just what to do.  Being a PI is hard work and in the end Baby Monkey is pretty sleepy when his solves his last, and most important, case. Can an Easy Reader really have 191 pages, five chapters, an index, and a bibliography? I guess so. This really is an easy reader with only about 100 very simple words total in the whole book.  The reason it is so long is because it was illustrated by Selzinck, the same guy who created the Caldecott winner,  The Invention of Hugo Cabret . The book has darling black and white illustrations that tell the story, and the large font words are just sprinkled about when needed.  It is really cute and will delight even the earliest readers because they will be abl...

Space Heroes By Hannah Dolan Dorling Kindersley, 2018. Easy Reader Informational. When I first saw this book, I laughed a little at how gimmicky it seemed - but once I actually read it, I was impressed by this simple, enticing introduction to four big names in NASA history. This book is in our Easy Reader Nonfiction section and it is labeled red - meaning it is just the right difficulty for beginning readers - but it has an impressive amount of information for little boys and girls. Of course, a big draw of this book are the illustrations of Lego mini-figures representing Margaret Hamilton, Nancy Grace Roman, Mae Jemison, and Sally Ride. The illustrations are pretty darn cute, and give this informational book some real kid appeal. Check this one out for little astronauts or Lego fans.

Princess Truly in I Am Truly  By Kelly Greenawalt Illustrated by Amariah Rauscher Orchard Books, An Imprint of Scholastic Inc., 2017. Picture Book. Truly is a little girl who is truly amazing. The book explains all the things that make her “truly fabulous!” For example: she likes the color blue, she can build tall towers, she is strong and a leader, she can tie her own shoes, and so much more. The idea that some simple things (such as being confident) are grouped together with physical skills (such as swimming or playing basketball) shows readers that both characteristics and talents are equally important to making someone “truly fabulous!” This is a great book to read with kiddos to help them understand that all the things that they do or are is what makes them “truly” great.

Read in Book Babies Cat's Colors By Airlie Anderson Child's Play Inc., 2016.  Picture Book. What better thing to do on a gray day than collect some colors?  Cat decides to do just that, but where will she find them?  A charming, deceptively simple story about making the most of the world around us, and giving something back in return.  --Publisher Read in Toddler Time Pirate Nap:  A Book of Colors Writty by Danna Smith Illustrated by Valeria Petrone Clarion Books, 2011.  Picture Book. Afternoon on Spyglass Street.  Pirates fighting in bare feet.  "Time for a nap, rowdy crew.  Mighty pirates need sleep, too."  From a white bandanna to yellow coins to a red blanket, two boys use their imaginations to turn everyday objects into colorful pirate treasure as they prepare for nap time.  Even the youngest readers and listeners will want to chime in as they get ready to sail off to sleep!  --Publisher ...

A World of Cookies for Santa By M.E Furman, Illustrated by Susan Gal This is an interesting book that illustrates different countries around the world and their Santa Claus traditions and what they leave out for him. You can learn his different names and of different traditions and maybe incorporate some other traditions into your own. It's a fun way to learn about different cultures and what they do around Christmas. For example: "Costa Rica Colacho brings gifts to children in Costa Rica and puts them under the fragrant cypress tree. Costa Rican children leave him a gift of crunchy, star-shaped suspiros and a glass of rompope - eggnog flavored with coconut." The final pages of the book have some of the recipes from these different countries that you can try on your own!

Stuck in the Stone Age Written by Geoff Rodkey Illustrated by Hatem Aly Rodale Kids, 2018. Fiction, 268 p. This book is presented by "The Story Pirates" who believe that children have the best ideas. They decided to have a contest for children to submit ideas that Rodkey would turn into a full-length story. Vince Boberski won the contest! An illustrated Pirate Captain and Vince Boberski  appear throughout the story referring to writing tips with page references that guide the reader to a writing handbook in the back. Kids everywhere are encouraged to use the tips and turn their own awesome ideas into stories to share with others. The main story follows Tom Edison (not the inventor of the light bulb!) who loves science, as he tries to get a job at CEASE (the Center for Extremely Advanced Science Experiments). Not really gifted in the area of science at all, he is promised if he takes the job of janitor (which has been impossible to fill due to its dangerous nature) he...

The Far Side of the Moon: The Story of Apollo 11's Third Man  by Alexander Irvine Illustrated by Ben Bishop Tilbury House Publishers, 2017. Informational Comic. 64 p. This is a handsome comic book about Michael Collins who was on the Apollo 11 Moon Mission.  He was the one who stayed in the lunar orbiter while Neal Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin went in the lunar lander to the moon's surface. It is full of interesting facts about Collin's experience, how he felt about being left in the orbiter, and about his later life. Did you know he later became the director of the National Air and Space Museum? The illustrations for the book are all done in black, white, and purple, and do a great job suggesting the overwhelming solitude of space. This is a good choice for space buffs or anyone who enjoys a good nonfiction story.

Boy, Were We Wrong About Weather! By Kathleen V. Kudlinski Illustrated by Sebastia Serra Examines what is known about  weather - storms, predictions, climate, and other characteristics - and how different the facts are from what scientists, from ancient Sumerians to the recent past, believed to be true. What is Today's Weather By Jennifer Boothroyd Learn the ins and outs of observing weather conditions in this book. You Wouldn't Want to Live Without Extreme Weather! By Roger Canavan Illustrated by Mark Bergin Discusses how weather has shaped the world we live in, and how humans have learned to live in almost every climate that can be found on Earth. Hurricanes! By Gail Gibbons Young readers can learn how hurricanes are formed, how they are named and classified, and what to do if a dangerous storm is coming their way. Weather By Kathy Furgang and Tim Samaras Weather can be wild, freaky, and fascinating! Powerful twisters ro...

The Boy and the Blue Moon By Sara O’Leary Henry Holt and Co., 2018. Picture book. “On the night of the blue moon, anything can happen,” a boy tells his cat. As he walks through the forest with his pet on this blue-tinted night, the little boy sees things in a new way and even has an out-of-this world experience. Was it only a dream? The various shades of blue and white on each page lend a mystical glow to this gentle, dreamlike episode of nighttime wandering and discovery. A book about dreams, space, imagination and bedtime.

The Little Red Fort  By Brenda Maier Pictures by Sonia Sánchez Scholastic Press, 2018. Picture Book. Ruby is a smart, inventive kid. So when she finds some boards, she makes a plan as to what she can do with them (the answer is build a fort). However, like the Little Red Hen, Ruby’s all alone in building her project. Her three brothers are too busy (playing games or laying in the sunshine) to be bothered to help. However, once the fort is built they too want to enjoy playing in the space. With other grownups helping Ruby she is able to accomplish her goal of building a fort (her Dad is around while drawing up plans, her Mom is around when she uses the saws and other tools, and her Grandma and Mom are around when she actually builds the fort). This does have a happy ending in that her brothers finally do something to earn their right to play with their sister in the fort. This is a fun retelling of a classic fairy tale.

Read in Book Babies Get Out of My Bath! By Britta Teckentrup Nosy Crow, 2015.  Picture Book. Ellie is having a great time splashing around in her bath, but soon everyone else wants to join in the fun.  How can she get her bath all to herself again?  She might need some help from you!  --Publisher Read in Toddler Time Honk!  Splat!  Vroom! By Barry Gott Carolrhoda Books, 2018.  Picture Book. Start your engines!  Ready...Set...Go...AH-CHOO!   As five little mice race down the road, they face noisy twists and messy surprises at every turn.  Who will cross the finish line first?  That'll depend on more than just their speed!  --Publisher Read in Preschool Time 1 Big Salad: A Delicious Counting Book By Juana Medina Viking, 2016.  Picture Book. 1 Avocado Deer 2 Radish Mice 3 Pepper Monkeys Are you hungry yet??  Counting from one to ten, 1 Big Salad fills a b...

People Don't Bite People By Lisa Wheeler Illustrated by Molly Idle Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2018. Picture book. This delightful rhyming book, with its simple logic to guide young ones to bite their food instead of the people in their lives, will bring bouts of laughter from its readers. Perfect for read-aloud and inviting the listeners to join in during the  "biting is for food!" statements that are included multiple times throughout. Idle's illustrations are bright and fun and go perfectly with this silly story. Often biting is a sensitive subject, since it can be an issue with many children who are struggling to communicate with words. Wheeler's story lightens the discussion with very young children about the proper use of teeth.

Mrs. Smith's Spy School for Girls by Beth McMullen Aladdin, 2017. Fiction. 295 p. Abby Hunter is not happy when her mother tells her that she will soon be going to a boarding school.  Once there, however, she makes friends who share her love of sneaking around and trying to solve mysteries. One day as she is eves dropping on the head mistress of the school, Mrs. Smith, she discovers that Mrs. Smith is running a spy school within the boarding school, and that she recruits prospective spies from the boarding school student body.  Abby is recruited and finds herself on her first mission, but can she be sure who are the good guys, and who are the bad guys? Spy school books are a real trend right now and this one does not disappoint. In some spy books, the child comes with a full set of special spy skills, but that is not the case here.  On her very first stakeout, Abby gets so scared she passes out cold! It is Abby's imperfections that will endear her to young readers...

Blue Rider By Geraldo Valerio Groundwood Books, 2018. Picture book. A little girl living in a drab and boring world discovers a book that transports her to a world filled with bright colors and abstract line and shape. Even after she finishes the book, the city around her is left changed for the better by this sudden explosion of art. This wordless picture book is a vibrant representation of the importance of art. It shows, through collage illustrations, that art can transform every day into something incredible. Fans of Art History, like myself, will love this gentle introduction to Der Blaue Reiter (a German Expressionist art movement from the turn of the 19th century) - but even those without a background in art will find something to enjoy in this vivid picture book.

Let’s Play! Poems about sports and games from around the world By Shirin Adl Collects thirty-seven poems celebrating such sports and games as football, baseball, judo, table tennis, netball, cycling, chess, and scrabble. Play with Me! By Michelle Lee Pip the pig is full of ideas: he wants to play dress up! Or magicians! Or dolls! But his best friend Nico the bear just wants to play his cello! Can they find something they can play together? Are You Ready to Play Outside? By Mo Willems Friends Elephant and Piggie are playing outside when it starts to rain, and then they must decide what to do. Rainy Day Kids Adventure Book By Steph Scott Packed with imaginative ideas perfect for rainy, snowy, and windy days. Play splash catch or raindrop racing. Make a leafy windmill or nature parachute. You ll also find smart advice for staying dry and warm, and on things to collect and bring inside for creative stay-at-home projects. Roxaboxen By Alice McLerran A hill covered with...

Dance, Dance, Dance! By Ethan Long Holiday House, I Like to Read, 2018. Easy Reader. In this hilarious new easy reader (that is the size/shape of a picture book) Horse and Buggy (a horse and a bug—specifically a fly) talk about dancing. Horse dances all over regardless of the fact that there is no music. Buggy is at first curious and then a little annoyed because Horse says he is dancing but Buggy doesn’t hear any music (so how could it be dancing?). There are bold colors with fun background textures. There are square white text boxes that make it obvious which character is speaking. There are expressive characters and dance moves that will make adult readers who are familiar with movies and particular dance moves chuckle. All in all, this is a great new easy reader that will hopefully be the beginning of Horse and Buggy’s adventures. Such fun.

Read in Book Babies Honk! Splat! Vroom! By Barry Gott Carolrhoda Books, 2018.  Picture Book. Start your engines!  Ready...Set...Go...AH-CHOO!  As five little mice race down the road, they face noisy twists and messy surprises at every turn.  Who will cross the finish line first?  That'll depend on more than just their speed!  --Publisher Read in Toddler Time Goose Goes to the Zoo By Laura Wall HarperCollins Publishers, 2016.  Picture Book. Sophie and Goose are best friends.  But Sophie is worried that Goose gets lonely while she's at school.  What if Sophie found Goose another friend to play with?  The two take an exciting trip to the zoo to meet some new friends.  But wait!  What's all that noise?  SQUAWK!  GRRRR!  SQUEAK!  Young readers will laugh along as Sophie and Goose have a blast at the zoo in this delightful story.  --Publisher Read in Preschool...

When Green Becomes Tomatoes By Julie Fogliano Pictures by Julie Morstad Roaring Brook Press, 2016. Poetry. When Green Becomes Tomatoes contains poems for all seasons, but it is particularly well suited for reading in one sitting at exactly this time of year. The book begins with a poem for March 20, describing the delicate transition to spring that we are currently experiencing. And it ends with March 20, emphasizing the cycles that make up nature and life itself. Morstad's sweet gouache illustrations perfectly suit Fogliano's evocative free verse observations. Check out When Green Becomes Tomatoes for Poetry Month!

If I had a Little Dream By Nina Laden Illustrated by Melissa Catrillon Simon & Schuster, 2017. Picture book. Laden has created simple, lyrical rhymes about everyday things to lull a child into their own dreamland. The magic and wonder of childhood are captured through the voice of a pigtailed little girl. Catrillon's illustrations are intricate and soothing in a palette of dark blues and oranges that complement each other perfectly. The cover gives a small taste of the delicate details included in the illustrations. Perfect for a one on one bedtime story.

The Provo Library Children's Book Festival is coming up on May 5th.  We are totally excited to welcome Jessica Day George as our feature author for the event.  She will be speaking about her new book, The Rose Legacy, which is coming out in May. Why not put a hold on it today! While you are waiting, read one of her other amazing middle grade series. Dragon Slippers (Dragon Slippers #1) Bloomsbury Children’s Books, 2007. fiction. 324 p. Orphaned by a fever epidemic young Creel makes a bargain with a dragon for a seemingly simple pair of blue slippers. But these aren't just ordinary shoes. They can be used to save Creel's kingdom or destroy it. Dragon Flight (Dragon Slippers #2) Bloomsbury Children’s Books, 2008. fiction. 262 p. Young seamstress Creel finds herself strategizing with the dragon king Shardas once again when a renegade dragon in a distant country launches a war against their country, bringing an entire army of dragons into the mix. Dragon Spear...

Don’t Throw It to Mo! By David A. Adler Penguin Young Readers, 2016. Easy Reader. Mo loves football more than anything. His mom wakes him up every morning by throwing him the ball. The only problem is, Mo is younger and smaller than the other players on his team and spends most of his time on the bench. But Coach Steve has a plan to use Mo’s size to his advantage. This easy reader about a sports-loving boy won the Theodor Seuss Geisel Award in 2016. Check out Mo Jackson’s other sports adventures for beginning readers in Pass the Ball, Mo! and Get a Hit, Mo!

Did you know that we have two parent/child book clubs every month at the Provo Library?  They are for children 9-12 and a parent/guardian and this month they will meet on April 24 (girls) and April 26 (guys). These will be the last book club events until the fall so be sure to preregister under the  Kids Corner/Program Registration  tab on the library website. We have two great books to discuss: Guys   All Rise for the Honorable Perry T. Cook by Leslie Connor HarperCollins, 2016. Fiction. 381 p. Perry was born at the Blue River Minimum Security Correctional Facility when his inmate mother was still a teenager.  He has been allowed to live at the facility ever since because the warden is his official foster parent. Then, one day, a new district attorney discovers that he has been living at the facility and goes on a crusade to try to "free" him.  Perry loves being able to live with his mother, and has close friends among both the staff and th...