Provo Library Children's Book Blog

I Walk with Vanessa: A Story About a Simple Act of Kindness By Kerascoet Schwartz and Wade Books, 2018. Picture Book. When a young girl witnesses the new girl at school getting bullied, she decides to befriend Vanessa and walk to school with her. This wordless picture book allows the child to interpret the bullying, making it relatable. Endnotes include discussion questions about dealing with bullying vocabulary words that parents can use to discuss the book with their child. Great companion book to Be Kind by Pat Zietlow Miller.

The Girl Who Drew Butterflies: How Maria Merian's Art Changed Science by Joyce Sidman Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2018. Informational. 120 p. Merian became fascinated with insects as a young teenager in 17th century Europe.  Her stepfather was a artist and printer by trade and she learned to draw in his studio. Her artwork was so outstanding that she published her first book about flowers and insects while still in her 20's.  Her careful observations helped disprove a common misconception that insects grew spontaneously from rotten materials. She and her daughter even traveled to Suriname to observe and paint tropical insects.  Her book about the flora and fauna of Suriname, though written by a woman, was acclaimed by the leading scientists of the time. This well written nonfiction biography by a Newbery honor winner has gained a lot of recognition already this year.  Sidman's accessible text is illustrated with pictures from Merian's own books, other historica...

Arnold the Brave  By Gundi Herget Illustrated by Nikolai Renger Peter Pauper Press, 2018. Picture Book. Arnold is a sheep that is brave. He envisions himself as a superhero sheep that will save the day. His friend (a mole named Milo) is his biggest fan. When a wolf comes to the meadow to eat the sheep Arnold steps up to save the day. The wolf laughs. Milo can’t watch. And eventually Arnold saves the day—only it is more due to the fact that his sidekick best friend helps (even though Arnold has no idea what Milo did). This is a fun story about bravery, being a hero, and being a good friend all rolled into one. The sheep are cute. Arnold in his red sweater with an “A” is adorable. And Milo is my new hero. Fun book.

Strongheart: Wonder Dog of the Silver Screen By: Candace Fleming & Eric Rohmann Schwartz & Wade, 2018. J Fiction. 245p This fictional telling of the true story of the wonder dog Strongheart,  a German Shepherd dog, who was  the first of his kind to make several black and white silent movies for Hollywood in the early 1920's. It  was an enchanting book that took me on a journey through the life of a dog I had never heard of. I was fascinated to learn how an intelligent, beautiful dog could learn to act and was able to convey real emotion in his movies as well as being helpful and loyal. It was a quick entertaining read that everyone will enjoy from children to adults. The stunning black and white illustrations done by Caldecott Medalist Eric Rohmann helped bring the story to life. I hope this book is considered as a potential Caldecott contender this year. If you are a dog lover and even if you aren't you will adore this book about Strongheart,  ...

The City on the Other Side by Scott Mairghread illustrated by Robin Robinson First Second, 2018. Comics. 209 p. Isabel is a poor rich girl.  Her socialite mother has little time for her.  Her artist father is kindhearted, but doesn't know how to act around children, so Isabel is left to herself much of the time. One day she finds an injured fairy in the woods near her father's cabin. Thus Isabel is sucked into the fairy world and is caught up in the war between the Seelie and Unseelie courts. With the help of a mushroom spirit and a human boy named Benjie, Isabel seeks to heal both the fairy world and her own. This is an exciting new fantasy comic after the style of Amulet .  Both Isabel and Benjie are sympathetic characters, the story is interesting, and the action is fast paced. Robinson's handsome full color illustrations carry the story beautifully and are par with some of the best graphic novels out there for children. This is a great choice for kids who are ...

The Brilliant Deep: Rebuilding the World's Coral Reefs By Kate Messner Illustrated by Matthew Forsythe Chronicle Books, 2018. Informational. The first thing most readers will be drawn to is the beautiful, colorful illustrations on the cover of this book (and the opalescent details that can't be captured in a picture). If this is what interests you in this book, you will not be disappointed. Each page is filled with similarly stunning full-page, full-color illustrations. I think that Matthew Forsythe is an underappreciated illustrator working today, and this book will convince you of the same. Once they've cracked the cover, readers are quick to find that the story and text of this book are equally captivating. This book ambitiously conveys quite a bit of information - how coral reefs spawn and grow, threats facing coral reefs, Ken Nedimyer and the Coral Restoration Foundation, ongoing efforts to save the coral reefs - but it does so quite simply with thoughtful, ...

The Chinese Emperor’s New Clothes  By Ying Chang Compestine Illustrated by David Roberts Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2017. Picture Book. This is a fractured fairytale of the classic “Emperor’s New Clothes.” When Ming Da became the Emperor at a young age (9!) he had a lot of advisors. They didn’t really care about China, instead they wanted to take advantage of the fact that the Emperor didn’t know how to run the country and they could do what they wanted. That meant they stole silks, rice, gold, and precious stones from the Emperor. It also meant that the people were poor and hungry. In order to oust the dishonest advisors, the Emperor hatched a plan with the help of his two tailors to trick the evil advisors. And thus the fractured fairytale explains why it was that the Emperor wore such silly rice sacks for a grand parade. This twist on the classic tale is clever. Readers will enjoy how the Emperor tricks the dishonest advisors in order to save his people and his emp...

The Wizards Cookbook By Aurelia Beaupommier Skyhorse Publishing, 2016. Informational. "When witches and wizards aren't busy casting spells, saving the world, or plotting sinister schemes, what do they like to eat? It sparked an investigation..." This question is what inspired the author to research books, movies, television shows, and plays to find sorcerers and create food based on those characters. You'll find some familiar favorites from Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings and The Wizard of Oz and others you might not have thought of such as World of Warcraft, Legend of Zelda and Doctor Strange. This is a fun compilation for fantasy nerds everywhere. Definitely check it out for that upcoming Bilbo Baggins Birthday Party you have every September.

The Stone Girl's Story By Sarah Beth Durst Clarion Books, 2018. Fiction, 326 p. Mayka is not an ordinary 11-year old girl. She has lived her entire life on the mountain with her family, which mostly consists of animals. They live in peace on the mountain. Mayka and the rest of her family are made from stone and their markings are starting to fade. The markings in their stone are the reason they are alive. Turtle, the oldest of them all, has already become still. When Father was alive he kept the markings from fading, but now Father has passed away. Mayka decides it is time to take a journey to the city, Skye, down far below in the valley. She has never traveled beyond the mountain. Two flying stone birds, Jaklo and Risa insist on following her to keep her safe. Mayka and her friends find the city and a master stone mason to carve the marks that are fading, but things don't go as smoothly as she had planned. Will she and the birds make it back to their family on the mou...

Snow & Rose by Emily Windfield Martin Random House, 2017. Fiction. 204 p One day Snow and Rose's father, traveling on business, goes into the forest and never returns.  Rose, Snow and their mother are forced to leave their home and move to a small cottage in a poor village. Snow and Rose adapt to their new life as peasants, but soon realize that there is something strange going on in the forest around their village.  People keep disappearing like their father had, and unnatural animals terrorize their neighbors. As they search for information about their father's fate they come face to face with an ancient evil. This is a charming retelling of a lesser known fairy tale. Martin starts out more or less realistic, and then gradually moves into the fantastic in a way that gently pulls the reader along. It is available in print, on CD and on Overdrive. The recording is very good, with occasional sound effects and a skilled reader so if you are doing a road trip this sum...

The Heart and Mind of Frances Pauley By April Stevens Schwartz & Wade, 2018. J Fiction. 208p. Eleven-year-old Frances, who secretly calls herself Figgrotten, is much more comfortable by herself than around other people. She spends most of her time in her “rock world” behind her home, observing the local crows, reading through an old set of encyclopedias, and enjoying the cold weather. Disconnected from her classmates and purposefully avoiding her older sister, Christinia, who is constantly embarrassed by Figgrotten’s habits and appearance, her only true friend is Alvin, the elderly and gentle bus driver. But when Alvin becomes ill, Figgrotten has to decide whether she is going to let other people in and embrace the imperfect connections that other humans offer. For such a quick read, this title packs a ton in the way of memorable characters, heartfelt emotion, and quirky philosophical musings. Original and moving, this is a story about how to remain true to ourselves while...

Dude! By Aaron Reynolds Illustrated by Dan Santat Roaring Brook Press, 2018. Picture Book The first thing about this book that I will tell you is that I totally laughed at the author and illustrator blurbs (and illustrations). The second thing I will tell you is that if I enjoyed the book enough to read the author and illustrator blurbs, then I really must have enjoyed the book. This book has a total of three words (and two of them are “dude” and “dudes”). A beaver and a platypus are excited to go surfing. Then while surfing they see a shark. Of course things are not always what they seem—point in fact the shark doesn’t want to eat the duo. This book is hilarious (seriously, if the author and illustrator blurbs are humorous, then this book is heavy on the comedic timing). And with such a few amount of words, it means that kiddos will need to take a lot of cues from the illustrations to discover the narrative (which is a good skill for them to learn). Who knew that learning cou...

Chirri & Chirra Written and Illustrated by Kaya Doi Translated from Japanese by Yuki Kaneko Spring is here! To celebrate, I picked up Chirri & Chirra and joined the twin sisters on their dreamy bicycle ride through the forest. They visit a cafe, bakery, hotel, and attend a concert with their animal friends. This is how I played and imagined as a young girl. I would have loved this simple story and its richly detailed and softly rendered illustrations. There are two other Chirri & Chirra picture books in our library, each as serene and lovely as this one. Check them out!

Ten Magic Butterflies By: Danica McKellar Crown Books for Young Readers, 2018. Picture Book One by one, ten flowers ask a fairy to turn them into butterflies for a night of magical flying, demonstrating to readers the different ways to group numbers to create ten. Butterflies and Moths By: John feltwell New York : DK Publishing, 2018. Informational Information, fun activities and project ideas are provided for young nature explorers. Butterflies By: Seymour Simon Collins 2011. Informational Award-winning science writer Seymour Simon invites readers to explore the world of butterflies and moths with fascinating facts and stunning full-color photographs. Learn where to find butterflies and moths, how to observe them in nature, and how to plant your very own butterfly garden. Butterflies By: Nic Bishop Scholastic, 2011. Informational Describes the life cycle of butterflies, from a tiny egg into a caterpillar, to a metamorphosizing pupa, and finally into a bea...

Roar: A Dinosaur Tale By Michael Paul Crown Books for Young Readers, 2018. Picture Book. Explore 18 different types of dinosaurs in this colorful illustrated informational book. Learn which ones were fast, which ones were small, who lived alone, and how different dinosaurs protected themselves. With simplistic text and illustrations, this is a perfect book to introduce your little one to dinosaurs.

Saving Marty by Paul Griffin Dial Books for Young Readers, 2017. Fiction. 195 p. When Lorenzo befriends a runt pig it soon becomes his constant companion.  Marty is as loyal and smart as any dog, but pigs have a way of growing, and when Marty gets to be 250 lbs, his affectionate nudges become hazardous. There are other complications in Lorenzo's life as well.  He is trying to find out what really happened to his Dad who never came back from Afghanistan, and he is struggling through a summer without his best friend, Paloma Lee. With everything else going on, Lorenzo desperately wants to save Marty from the butcher block, but at what cost? This is a charming novel, reminiscent of White's Charlotte's Web and King-Smith's Babe: The Gallant Pig . Griffin does a good job showing Lorenzo as a boy desperately in need of a friend, but also portraying his mother's concerns for finances and safety with a sympathetic hand. Lorenzo's and Paloma's friendship is al...

Zion National Park By Jodie Shepherd Rookie, 2018. Easy Reader Nonfiction. Do you have little explorers who are eager to learn more about the natural beauty of the world around them? This new series of Easy Reader Nonfiction books are a great introduction to the U.S. National Parks. I might be biased (since this is the only one set in Utah) but so far this is my favorite of the series that also includes Grand Canyon, Yosemite and Yellowstone. Filled with beautiful full-color illustrations from inside the Park, this book provides a great first look at Zion National Park. Though there is no substitute for visiting Zion for yourself, this book would be a great supplement for a family trip to Southern Utah - young readers can read up about the geological formation of Zion, unique flora and fauna in the park, and significant sites to look out for.

Don’t Blink By Amy Krouse Rosenthal Illustrated by David Roberts Random House, 2018. Picture Book This is one of my favorite new books this year. Granted, it is only May, but still. This is one of maybe three favorites that have come out so far (which is saying something since there are quite a few books that have been published this year already). Basically there is a stuffed owl with rather large eyes telling the reader not to blink. The premise is that every time the reader blinks a page has to be turned—and once the book is over it is time to go to bed. So “Don’t Blink!” The owl has all sorts of solutions as to how to keep the reader from blinking—thus going to bed. Alas, eventually (and depending upon how determined the youngsters are) there is a blink…and the adult readers must turn the page to the detriment of the owl. Then comes the end of just keeping your eyes closed so that the readers aren’t blinking—just don’t fall asleep while your eyes are staying closed! Th...

Everything I Need to Know I Learned From a Star Wars By Geof Smith Illustrated by Alan Batson, Ethen Beavers, Ron Cohee, Chris Kennett, Heather Martinez, Caleb Meurer, Micky Rose and Patrick Spaziante Golden Books, 2016. Picture Book. In honor of Star Wars Day I thought it would be appropriate to highlight a new Star Wars picture book just added to our collection. Taking iconic scenes from the films (as shown below), life lessons are taught-- being your own hero, surrounding yourself with good friends, and no matter what, the Force will be with you always, so hang in there. A must for all Star Wars fans, young and old.

Elizabeth and Zenobia by Jessica Miller Amulet Books, 2017. Fiction. 202 p. If you are ready for something a bit spooky, and you like characters that are a little noir, this is the book for you. After her mother runs away with an opera star, Elizabeth and her father go to live in her father's childhood home. Elizabeth brings along her closest friend, Zenobia, whom no one else can see or hear. Zenobia is the opposite of Elizabeth.  She is brave and strong with a affinity for the macabre. Elizabeth, on the other hand, is afraid of everything and likes flowers and sunny rooms. In their new home Zenobia is determined to meet the ghost, or "spectral presence," she is sure lives in the house. At first Elizabeth follows along reluctantly, but as the two girls seek for the ghost, Elizabeth becomes eager to learn more about her family's clouded past. Miller builds suspense gradually, and both story and characters are complex and interesting. This isn't as intense as...

Prisoner of Ice and Snow By Ruth Lauren Bloomsbury, 2017. J Fiction. 288p. When Valor gets a life sentence to Tyur’ma, the infamous prison for criminal children, it’s exactly what she’s been hoping for. Her twin sister, Sasha, is already serving a life sentence for stealing from the royal family, and Valor is determined to help her escape. But the prison may be more than she bargained for. To get her sister out, Valor will have to deal with freezing temperatures, hungry wolves, frightening guards, hostile fellow prisoners and angry royals. This is a fast-paced, middle grade adventure story set in a winter landscape of warring queendoms. Valor’s intelligence, bravery and fierce love for her sister add depth to the exciting action sequences. The ending is satisfying but leaves room for the sequel, Seeker of the Crown , just out this month!