Provo Library Children's Book Blog

The Bicycle Written by: Lucas Arnoldussen Illustrated by: Mark Janssen New York, Clavis Publishing, 2018. J Informational This is an informational picture book about the history of the bicycle. If you have ever been curious about what the first bicycle looked like or you are wondering how to choose the best bike for you, then read this book to discover a wealth of knowledge about bicycles. This engaging book talks about everything from how to fix a flat tire to the most famous cyclists. Its a fun fact filled book that will turn you into a bicycle expert in just a few short pages. 

National Geographic Little Kids: The Magazine for Young Explorers Puffins! September/October 2018, Issue 70. National Geographic Partners, LLC., 2018 In the library children's section there are multiple magazine subscriptions available for check-out. We maintain the current year and the previous two years on the shelves. We get brand new editions each month which are perfect for curious minds to explore new topics. The National Geographic Little Kids magazine is a great introduction to interesting animals. It has just the right amount of information with simple sentences and vivid pictures of animals in their natural habitat. The facts and photos are interspersed throughout the magazine with games for young children. The current issue is about Puffin birds. It has a couple facts and photos about where they live and what they eat. It features a homophones matching game with pictures. It also has an article with four stages of how a pumpkin grows from seed to full-size. ...

The Griffin and the Dinosaur By Marc Aronson and Adrienne Mayor, illustrated by Chris Muller “The Griffin and the Dinosaur” details the early years and subsequent significant scientific discoveries of Adrienne Mayor, who linked mythological tales with the fossils of dinosaurs and helped start the new scientific process that uncovers the real animals behind mythological creatures. Questionable Creatures: A Bestiary By Pauline Baynes Baynes writes and illustrates a delightful modern version of the bestiaries of the Middle Ages, which includes all manner of mythological creature.  Imaginary Menagerie: a Book of Curious Creatures By Julie Larios A book of beautiful illustrations and lush poetry, “Imaginary Menagerie” brings life to the cryptids and mythological beasts of days past. Readers will enjoy the imagery Larios uses to describe these exciting creatures.  Behind the Legend: Bigfoot By Erin Peabody, illustrated by Victor Rivas ...

Howard and the Mummy: Howard Carter and the Search for King Tut's Tomb  by Tracey E. Fern illustrated by Boris Kulikov Farrar Straus Giroux, 2018. Informational. 40 p. This is an informational picture book about the man who, through persistence and meticulous attention to detail, discovered the most impressive archaeological find of the 20th century. The text is written in engaging narrative, and the stylized watercolor illustrations add interest to the story.  Fern mentions that Carter was not necessarily the most pleasant person and emphasizes that he succeeds because he refuses to give up. She also focuses on that fact that he was more careful and methodical than many archaeologists of the age. A blend of history and STEM principles, this is a great choice for kids interested in archaeology, but I think any middle grade reader would likely enjoy it. It is not surprising that it has received four starred reviews. Set it out on a table, and just see how many kids pick ...

I Feel Teal By Lauren Rille and Aimee Sicuro Beach Lane Books, 2018. Picture book. As a grown-up, I often take for granted that I can pull out lots of different ways to describe how I am feeling and why. This book covers a lot of emotions a young person might feel, and describes these emotions with pages full of color. This book provides ample opportunities to discover a full range of emotions and colors - everything from lilac to ecru - and shows that even though you may wake up rosy pink, by the end of the day you might be feeling blue, and that's okay. If you are looking for a gentle introduction to emotions for your little person, this book is a great place to start.

The Long-Lost Home (Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place # 6)  By Maryrose Wood Balzer + Bray, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, 2018. Historical Fantasy, 440 p. If you were to ask me for a list of my top five audio books to listen to then I would mention the series The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place, which may or may not be one of my all-time favorite listens. The Long-Lost Home is the sixth and final book in this series. (If you have not read this series, please start with The Mysterious Howling , which is just brilliant!) All in all, this is still one of the great children’s series to listen to on audio books. Not only because it has great narrators, but all in all because they are just brilliant books. In this book, Penelope Lumley is trapped as a governess for a family of kids in Russia. Miss Lumley is unhappy and misses her Incorrigible charges—and not only because they have better manners but also because she now knows that they are in danger! (Warnin...

Proboscis Monkey By: Lisa Owings A close call -- A peculiar Primate -- Big noses and belly flops-- In need of protection Engaging Images accompany information about proboscis monkeys. What makes a Monster By: Jess Keating An informative introduction to nature's scariest creatures, exploring why some animals are considered monsters.  Provided by publisher Narwhal By: Christina Leaf Weird animals series that contains engaging images that accompany information about narwhals. Star-nosed Mole By: Lisa Owings An information series, weird animals, tells how moles feel for food and live their life underground. They have tentacles, tunnels, and tails. Engaging images accompany information about star-nosed mole. Look at Me! :  how to attract attention in the animal world By: Steve Jenkins "The latest offering from the award-winning team of Robin Page and Steve Jenkins focuses on the most unique and exciting animal displays in the natural world, used by ...

Splat and the New Baby By: Rob Scotton Harper Collins, 2018. Picture Book Splat the cat is an amusing cat who has many adventures and in this new endearing book Splat and the New Baby, Splat can't wait to become a big brother. It's assumed at the beginning of the book that when mom tells Splat that he is going to be a big brother that it will be a kitten but that's where the surprise comes in.  Splat and the reader are astonished when the new baby is revealed but even though Splat has some reservations about the new baby he is still ready to prove he can be the best brother ever.  This book is the perfect read aloud  for a family who is expecting a new change, from a new baby, to adoption, to babysitting.

The Crocodile and the Dentist Written and Illustrated by Taro Gomi Chronicle Books, 2018. Picture Book. Originally published in Japan in 1984, this picture book is about a dentist and his toothy reptilian patient, both of whom are dreading their dental appointment with each other. Gomi's chunky, expressive illustrations and simple text create an understated little tale of perspective and empathy.  The Crocodile and the Dentist  is funny and clever, and with each line of dialogue repeated by both characters, it would be a fun choice for parent-child reading.

The Truth as Told by Mason Buttle by Leslie Connor Katherine Teagan Books, 2018. Fiction. 326 p. Mason Buttle's family, what's left of them, are still reeling from the "bing, bam, boom"; the death of a grandfather, a mother, and a friend all in the last few years.  Mason also struggles with sever dyslexia and a disorder that makes him sweat profusely. That and his living conditions in the "cumble-down" house make him the butt of relentless bullying from the kids on his bus.  Mason gets by with the help of a compassionate resource room teacher, Miss Blinny, and when he finds a friend in little Calvin Chumpsky, things seem to be looking up.  But Lieutenant Baird keeps hounding Mason for more details surrounding the death of his friend, and Mason just can't seem to move past the clouds of green sadness that swirl around him and the whole town. That plot summary makes it sound like this book is a real downer.  It does deal with some heavy issues, bu...

Martina & Chrissie: The Greatest Rivalry in the History of Sports By Phil Bildner Candlewick, 2017. J Informational. In the 1970s and 1980s, Chris Evert from the USA and Martina Navratilova from Czechoslovakia faced off again and again on the tennis court. Their approaches were very different: Chris was always poised and consistent, while Martina yelled and showed emotion on the court. But over time an unlikely friendship grew between the two competitors. This is a dual biography of two tennis greats whose rivalry is considered to be the greatest in women's tennis history and one of the greatest in sports in general. Bildner’s conversational tone and Helquist’s action shots make this a very exciting and readable true story.

The Penderwicks at Last By Jeanne Birdsall Alfred A. Knopf, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, 2018. Realistic Fiction, 294 p. I love the Penderwick family! This is the last book in the series—so if you haven’t read the others make sure you start with The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy (which is amazing as well). Basically the whole series talks about how the various Penderwick sisters interact with each other (the good, the bad, and the loveable). In this installment the very youngest Penderwick sister is the focus of the book. The two oldest Penderwick sisters are getting married—and Lydia is trying to explore the wonderful site for the wedding (which is the setting for the first Penderwick book) all while helping to get other wedding things done and avoid Jeffrey’s mother. There isn’t a large list of adventurous drama or strong “I hate this” emotions. Instead it is a calm, stead look at what it is like to be...

Vietnamese Children's Favorite Stories Retold by Tran Thi Minh Phuoc Illustrated by Nguyen Thi Hop & Nguyen Dong The tales chosen for this book share the Vietnamese five great virtues: Nhan (Compassion), Le (Rituals), Nghia (Righteousness), Tri (Wisdom), and Tin (Trust). The author notes that her parents used traditional stories to teach children values and morals. Now the author, who is a story teller, uses the same tales to help Vietnamese children learn their traditional culture and values. The Glass Mountain: Tales from Poland Retold by David Walser Illustrations by Jan Pienkowski A collection of traditional Polish fairy tales featuring the vibrant and witty paper-cut illustrations of Jan Pienkowski. Little Red Riding Hood Written by the Brothers Grimm Illustrated by Bernadette Watts Little Red Riding Hood is one of the best known folktales in the world and beloved by children on every continent. The red-hooded girl who, on her way to Gr...

Dinosaur Discoveries By Gail Gibbons Holiday House, 2018. Informational. 33 p. This is a fun and interesting book for anybody who wants to learn about dinosaurs with amazing facts with the most current discoveries. Gibbons explores the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous periods and many dinosaurs that lived during each of those times. There is also information about the people who study dinosaurs- like "In 1842, Sir Richard Owen, a scientist, named the creatures whose fossils he was studying dinosaurs, which means 'terrible lizard' in Greek."

Stanley's School Written and Illustrated by William Bee Peachtree Publishers, 2018. Picture book. In Bee's Stanley series this versatile hamster gets to try many different careers. His newest adventure is becoming a teacher! Stanley reads his students stories, helps them measure plants outside, paints and plays. He facilitates a perfect classroom. The pictures are bright and there are only one or two sentences per page. This simple story is perfect for a preschooler just starting out. If they are nervous about how the day might go this can help them see a good example to help them process their ideas and fears. It is fun to see Stanley, the teacher, go through an entire day from waking up, spending the day at school and going home to go to sleep.

Ghost Boys by Jewell Parker Rhodes Little Brown & Co, 2018. fiction. 214 p. Jerome is a 12 year-old-boy from the ghettos of Chicago.  The story starts when he is shot in the back by a white police officer.  The story follows Jerome over the next year as he wanders as a ghost around the city, unseen by everyone but Sarah, the daughter of the police officer that shot him.  At first he is angry but over time he sees how grief is affecting everyone who cared about him. With the help of other Ghost Boys, like Emmett Till, a boy whose murder jump started the civil rights movement, he gradually learns what he must do so that he, and those he left behind, can move on. This is a very emotionally charged book relevant to recent events and issues in the news media.  Rhodes doesn't sugar coat a single line of the difficult narrative.  She thankfully resists the temptation to vilify the white police who shoots Jerome, but instead shows that his family is in need ...

Birds of a Color By Elo Editions Sarbacane, 2018. Board book. If you like bright colors highlighted by interesting looking black and white birds, then this French-import board book is for you. But, even if your interests aren't that specific, you're sure to find something appealing in this brief little book. Lift-the-flap illustrations reveal colors hidden in the birds themselves along with easy-to-read text that identifies the color. Paired with a bright pink color, this book is an eye-catching success.

Lions & Liars  By Kate Beasley Illustrated by Dan Santat Farrar Straus Giroux, 2018. Realistic Fiction, 288 p. Frederick Frederickson has an idea that the kids at school who have everything and seem popular and well-liked are like lions in the food chain and kids like him who are the nothings at school are like the fleas on the lion. So when some weird events make it so that Frederick arrives at a weekend disciplinary camp for troublesome boys and everyone thinks he is Dash—one troublemaker “lion” that everyone has heard of and thus looks up to—he decides to roll with it. Only, a category 5 hurricane is headed their way. Plus being a “lion” isn’t all that it is cracked up to be…and what if everyone finds out he wasn’t telling the truth about who he was? This is a good book that takes a good look at what really is most important in life—and what friendship really is. Kids who like realistic fiction where themes such as bullies, truth, camp, disasters, vacations, cruis...

Walk Your Dog By Elizabeth Stevens Omlor Illustrated by Neesha Hudson G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2018. Picture Book. This is a bouncy book showing the day to day life of a girl and her dog. The text is short, allowing the illustrations tell a far more elaborate story of this spunky girl and her carefree canine. These beautiful watercolor illustrations show kids that there is more to taking care of a dog and that working as a team requires some patience and heart.

The Super Awful Superheroes of Classroom 13  By Honest Lee and Matthew J. Gilbert Little, Brown and Company, 2018. J Intermediate. 115 p. When Ms. Linda accidentally leads an electromagnetic storm into Classroom 13, she and her students are struck by purple lightning and given superpowers. Chaos and silliness ensue. Each short chapter in this J Intermediate book describes a student and what they choose to do with their new abilities. What happens when William transforms into the Incredible Bulk? What will twin sisters Mya and Madison shape shift into? And how will Mark wield his mighty...corn chip powers? The story culminates in a superheroes versus super-villains standoff that nearly destroys the world! The Super Awful Superheroes of Classroom 13  falls somewhere between  Wayside School ,  Captain Underpants , and  Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle . This is the fourth book in the Classroom 13 series. 

Black Panther: The Young Prince by Ronald Smith Marvel Press, 2018. Fiction. 264 p. Do you have a Black Panther fan in your family?  Would you like to know what he was like as a young teen? In this story T'Challa is middle school aged.  When war threatens Wakanda, T'Challa's father, the king of Wakanda, arranges for T'Challa and his best friend, M'Baku, to travel to America incognito. T'Challa has a Vibranium suit that his father gave him "in case of emergency" and T'Challa has to decide whether to use it and reveal his true identity, or let his best friend follow a path that leads to mortal danger. Ronald Smith is a veteran author that has written a number of successful series for children. Though in novel format, this book is full of the action and adventure one would expect from a Marvel comic. T'Challa  is a likable character, and there is a ton of foreshadowing of future events and characters that take place in the movie.  All in a...

The Last: Endling # 1  By Katherine Applegate HarperCollins, 2018. Fantasy, 383 p. Byx is the last of her kind—what her species (dairnes) call an “endling”. She saw humans kill off her pack and now wonders if she really is the last dairne or if there are others hidden in the safe haven legends. Byx has also saved a wobbyk named Tobble that then (due to wobbyk code) must try to save Byx multiple times. To make things even more complicated Byx gets caught by a human girl masquerading around as a boy tracker…which in turn means that Tobble and Byx end up being taken to places where even more humans are and thus they will find out just how much humans want dairnes to truly be extinct. This is a good beginning to a brand new series written by Newbery Award-winning author Katherine Applegate. The various different (and fantastical) animals are very interesting…and the bits of legends where it talks about the different sentient races pull together the history of the different sp...

Ranger Rick Kids' Guide to Hiking: All You Need to Know About Having Fun While Hiking  By Helen Olssom Walter Foster Jr, 2018. Informational. 96 p. This is a great book that shows you the tips and tricks of hiking from how to be safe and what to wear and pack to etiquette you should have with nature and others you might meet on the trail. It even has activities to do on the trail and jokes to pass the time. The more you know the more fun you can have.

Display: Sing Sing is one of the 5 Early Literacy Tips parents can do everyday to help their child develop the skills necessary for optimal early child development. These books are all illustrated versions of songs. You can't help but sing along as you look through them. Check one out today! Yankee Doodle Written by Edward Bangs Illustrated by Steven Kellogg An illustrated version of the well-known song of the American Revolution. Let it Shine Illustrated by Ashley Bryan Illustrated versions of three well-known hymns. This little light of mine. When the saints go marching in. He's got the whole world in his hands. Forever Young Written by Bob Dylan Illustrated by Paul Rogers Bob Dylan's classic 1974 anthem Forever Young is reimagined by award-willing illustrator Rogers. In this picture book, the lyrics follow the story of a young boy who travels through Dylan's life, living in the footsteps of the musical legend. Sing, Don't Cry Presents a l...

Llamaphones By Janik Coat Abrams Appleseed, 2018. Board book. This cover gives a glimpse into a perfect board book. Coat has followed the equally clever  Hippopposites and Rhymoceros board books. Homophones have always intrigued and interested me. Words that mean completely different things and sound the same?! Coat has taken homophones and paired them with a straight-faced llama along with simple illustrations defining each word enticing children and parents to laugh together. Board books that a parent can enjoy as much as a child are the best! You'll find this in our board book bins.

DISPLAY : You Must Be Joking    The Monster Fun Joke Book  By Sean Connolly Windmill Books, 2012. 32 p A collection of jokes about monsters, including vampires, skeletons and ghosts. The Laugh Stand  By Brian Cleary Millbrook Press, 2008. 48 p. A fun book full of word plays, puns, anagrams, daffynitions, Tom Swifties, and more. Simms Taback Great Big Book of Spacy Snakey Buggy Riddles  By Katy Hall Illustrated by Simms Taback Viking, 2008. 32 p. A classic collection of fun and whacky riddles. The Science Zone: Jokes, Riddles, Tongue Twisters &“Daffynitions”  By Gary Chmielewski Norwood House Press, 2008. 24 p. 100 Science themed jokes, with writing exercises and tips on how to write your own jokes. Goofy Jokes & Giggles  By Charles Keller Illustrated by Dave Garbot Sterling Pub. 2001. 96 p. One in a series of jokes and riddles books that can be found in the informational section 818.54. School Jokes  B...