Provo Library Children's Book Blog

Winter is Here   By Kevin Henkes Illustrated by Laura Dronzek Greenwillow Books, An Imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, 2018. Picture Book. This is the third book that Kevin Henkes has written and Laura Dronzek has illustrated ( When Spring Comes and In the Middle of Fall were previously published). In this story the world is white and cold and full of winter—snowmen and sledding and snow. The pleasures and complications of winter are discussed and shown in illustrates full of blues and whites. And then like every year, after winter seems to have stayed forever (and ever) it slowly thaws into spring. This is another sweet edition to the season picture book genre. And like every winter—it is nice to have a reminder of not only what is good about the cold time but that the cold will not always stay.

The Digger and the Flower By Joseph Kuefler Balzer + Bray an imprint of HarperCollins, 2018. Picture book. “The Digger and the Flower” may seem straightforward enough—it’s a book about friendship, growth, sadness, and changing. But even young readers will be able to tell that this sweet picture book is more than meets the eye. Beyond the basic facts of the book, readers will find an important message about preserving nature and finding joy in it, even for those who live in cities with very little nature nearby. The titular Digger protects the delicate Flower, and learns a timely lesson along the way about just how much we need the beauty of the natural world. The lesson will resonate with children and adults who appreciate the simple beauty of a flower growing between a sidewalk crack. Kuefler’s art mimics older, retro styles of illustration with simple drawings in splashes of color on a mostly greyscale background. This style helps drive home the message of finding beauty ...

Milton Hershey By: Jane Sutcliffe A biography of the successful chocolate maker who built a town around his factory with unique housing for his workers and a school for disadvantaged students. Milton Hershey: Hershey's chocolate creator By: Joanne Mattern Follow Hershey's success story from his apprenticeship at Royer's Ice Cream Parlor and Garden to his establishment of the Lancaster Caramel Company. Hershey's discovery of chocolate and determined creation of the Hershey bar also highlighted. Engaging text familiarizes readers with topics of interest including the town of Hershey, Pennsylvania, and Milton Hershey School. An entertain sidebar, a helpful timeline, a glossary, and an index, supplement the historical and color photos showcased in this biography. Betty Bunny loves chocolate cake By: Michael B. Kaplan From her first bite young Betty Bunny likes chocolate cake so much that she claims she will marry it one day, and she has trouble learning to w...

Merci Suarez Changes Gears By Meg Medina Candlewick Press, 2018. Fiction. Merci Suarez was prepared for sixth grade to be a little bit different -- she knew that as a scholarship student at her fancy private school she would have to do extra community service hours, she knew that being one of the "big kids" would mean more schoolwork, and she even knew that she'd have to deal with the bossiest girl in her class -- but she wasn't ready for all the big changes that would come - especially when her grandfather and best friend starts acting strangely. This is a realistic fiction book with a lot of heart. Merci Suarez is the type of character you want to root for, and while she faces many hardships, this book reads like it's a book about an ordinary girl (no easy feat to accomplish). This is a sophisticated coming-of-age story with a lot of heart and a little bit of humor sprinkled in. Middle-grade readers will love this book.

Sylvia's Bookshop: the Story of Paris's Beloved Bookstore and its Founder (as told by the bookstore itself!) Written by Robert Burleigh Illustrated by Katy Wu Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2018. Informational A bookshop can be a magical place, especially for the patrons of Shakespeare and Company, the bookshop at the center of this story. Rife with creativity, writing, and a love for art, Sylvia Beach’s little Paris bookshop became a hub for all sorts of creative types, making it a place where art could be made and discussed. This book about Shakespeare and Company is told from the perspective of the abandoned building that eventually becomes the beloved bookstore. Patrons love the atmosphere in that cozy corner of Paris, which helped to cultivate many of the creative minds that we learn from today. Young readers who want to know more about writers and artists will be intrigued by the role that a creative place and creative friends can have in ...

The Christmas Extravaganza Hotel  By Tracey Corderoy Illustrated by Tony Neal Tiger Tales, 2018. Picture Book. Today is Christmas Eve! And today of all days I want to share what well may be one of my new favorite Christmas books. Basically a frog has decided to go on a splendid vacation to “The Christmas Extravaganza Hotel”. Only Frog had his map upside-down and he went to the wrong side of the world—and now there isn’t enough time to get Frog to the hotel before Christmas starts. Kind Bear (whose home Frog mistook for the hotel) takes pity on Frog and decides to help him have an extraordinary time. The brochure said that there would be a breakfast bar. Bear doesn’t have a breakfast bar so instead he suggests that they make cookies with sprinkles. Frog’s brochure says there will be a singing Christmas tree so Bear takes him outside to see a large tree covered in snow and full of singing birds. On and on the adventures go—turning the commercialized activities of the brochur...

Make Your Own Game: Create With Code By Jurie Horneman Children will learn everything from creating a game world, animating characters and determining the physics of movement within the game. Each concept is illustrated with a screenshot to make checking easy, and incredible pixel art from Army of Trolls makes this look like no other coding book. Game On! 2017 By Luke Albiges Offers information and statistics about all of the hottest games, tips and tricks for gamers, and interviews from gaming's biggest personalities, including game developers and pro gamers. Click Here to Start: A Novel By Denis Markell When Ted inherits his uncle's apartment "and all the treasure within," he realizes the apartment is set up like a real-life video game and must solve the puzzles with his friends to discover the treasure. Insert Coin to Continue By John David Anderson Middle-schooler Bryan wakes up to find that his life has become a video game, with bullies to b...

The journey of little Charlie By: Christopher Paul Curtis New York : Scholastic Press, 2018. Fiction, p. 234 The journey of little Charlie was indeed a journey of epic proportions. You as the reader catch a small glimpse into our history and what it would be like to be a slave in 1850 America. Little Charlie, the son of a poor white sharecropper, is forced to accompany one of the meanest overseers in South Carolina on a journey, in order to pay off his father's debt.  For all intents and purposes he and Cap'n Buck are going to travel to Detroit Michigan to retrieve three run away slaves who escaped 10 years ago and bring them back. But once little Charlie meets them he learns how much they are like him, except for the color of their skin, and he knows he would be responsible for their enslavement. He is faced with a choice: survival, or a guilty conscience.  I really enjoyed this book and the character of Charlie Bobo was very real and easy to relate to. The d...

Up and Away!: How Two Brothers Invented the Hot-Air Balloon By Jason Henry Sterling Children's Books, 2018. Informational Picture Book. Although it may be a little cold outside to imagine riding in a hot-air balloon right now, I have always wanted the chance to try it. Hot-air balloons intrigue me. Their beauty blows me away, especially when a whole group of hot-air balloons are all in the sky at the the same time. Joseph and Étienne Montgolfier lived in the 1700's. Joseph loved tinkering and discovering. Étienne loved the business side of things. Together they were the perfect combination to invent the first flying hot-air balloon. Readers will see how Joseph's interest in paper floating above a fire led him to experiment with heating up air to make taffeta material float in air. Joseph enlists Étienne immediately and they are invited to show their invention to the King of France! Henry will hook even the youngest listeners as they find out what happens with the...

Quiddich Through the Ages by J. K. Rowling New York : Arthur A. Levine Books ; London : Obscurus Books, 2013, c2001. A history of the sport Quidditch, answering such questions such as where the Golden Snitch came from, or why the Wigtown Wanterers have meat cleavers on their robes. A copy of this volume is found in Hogwarts School Library, where it is consulted by Quidditch fans. A Practical Guide to Monsters by Nina Hess Reston, WA : Mirrorstone, c2007. How do you trick a troll? Do vampires sleep? Why worry about yuan-ti? Just in time for Halloween, this lavishly illustrated guide showcases the spooky, unexpected, and always fascinating world of monsters! Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J. K Rowling  New York : Arthur A. Levine Books, 1999. When the Chamber of Secrets is opened again at the Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry, second-year student Harry Potter finds himself in danger from a dark power that has once more been released on t...

Samson in the Snow By Philip C. Stead Roaring Brook Press, 2016.  Picture Book. One sunny day Samson, a large and friendly woolly mammoth, encounters a little red bird who is looking for yellow flowers for her mouse friend (whose favorite color is yellow). As she flies off with the flowers, Samson wonders what it must be like to have a friend. He wonders this for so long, in fact, that he falls asleep and wakes up to a world covered in snow. In the midst of a blizzard, Samson finds and shelters the little red bird and flower-loving mouse in a tender tale of kindness and unexpected friendship. Pablo in the Snow Written by Teri Sloat Illustrated by Rosalinde Bonnet Henry Holt and Company, 2017.  Picture Book. What is soft, fluffy, and white? Pablo’s wool, of course. But this little lamb soon discovers that there’s something else as well: SNOW! From making trails to sledding with friends, having snowball fights and crafting snowmen, there’s tons of fu...

Rain by Anders Holmer Grand Rapids, Michigan: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, 2018.  This is a gorgeous poetry book written completely in haiku, a traditional Japanese poem. Both verse and image showcase how different cultures experience rain. Highlights include rain on the Mongolian hills, a tropical rain storm, and one beautiful spread of two friends walking under a shower of cherry blossom petals. Illustrations across a double-page spread  accompany each haiku, giving ample space to really take in the setting.  This is a perfect read-aloud book, or an excellent introduction to the world of poetry for reluctant readers. Be sure to linger on Holmer's detailed illustrations and enjoy how he's given each culture their own distinct style. 

Making a Friend  By Tammi Sauer Illustrated by Alison Friend Harper, an Imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, 2018. Picture Book. I wanted to share another new winter picture book—one that is quickly becoming one of my all-time-favorite books on friendship. In this book Beaver wants a friend. He tries to yell good morning to an owl—who he wakes up. He tries to give a bunch of balloons to a porcupine—which gets popped. He tries to give a bunch of flowers to a skunk—who takes offense. Basically Beaver is just no good at making a friend. Finally he decides to literally make a friend, by making a snowman. Along comes Raccoon who is also no-good at making friends—so the two of them make the snowman together. Alas once the snow-friend is made, the friend turns out to be “cold” by not playing or talking with them. Both Beaver and Raccoon are sad and dejected…until they both realize that perhaps they did make a friend after all. This is a fun story with quite a few clever moments (...

Floaty By John Himmelman Henry Holt and Company, 2018.  Picture Book. Mr. Raisin is a grumpy old man.  He likes sewing...but that's all.  Just sewing (and saying the word "Blah").  One day when a surprise basket carrying a puppy arrives at his door, he's not very happy about it.  He's not about to let that little puppy start feeling at home.  But this doggy is a special one -- he floats!  And a floating puppy causes all kinds of conundrums.  Soon Mr. Raisin discovers he adores his little troublemaker more than he realized, but Floaty can be hard to keep track of!  Himmelman's brightly illustrated tale is a charming read aloud that will have preschoolers giggling while also demonstrating that the perfect friend isn't always what we expect!

Summer of Lost and Found By Rebecca Behrens Aladdin, 2016. Fiction, p. 278 “Summer of Lost and Found” is a sweet, historical mystery that deals with family, friendship, and our connections to the past. Nell Dare finds herself visiting Roanoke with her botanist mother who is researching a huge grapevine that is rumored to have been around since before the first English settlers landed. Unfortunately, Nell’s dad isn’t along for the ride and is mysteriously on a business trip for the whole summer. While Nell juggles her disappointments with her family, being away from her friends, and losing her summer plans, she meets a few locals who pique her interest in the mystery of Roanoke, setting off her summer of adventure. Behrens creates a sweet and intriguing story that centers around Nell’s obsession with Roanoke, her new friends, and her questions for her dad. Readers who have never heard of Roanoke will enjoy the introduction, while anybody who picks it up will understand ...

It's Not Easy Being Mimi Written and Illustrated by Linda Davick Beach Lane Books, 2018. J Intermediate, 165 pages. When Mimi learns that a new kid is moving into the Periwinkle Tower she secretly hopes it will be someone just like her, a long lost identical twin sister, even! But Boris isn't quite the new friend Mimi was hoping for and conflicts arise. Mimi is a lovable, chaotic character and her story clips along in a speedy succession of funny adventures, from a really bad haircut to the off-kilter class Christmas program. Every episode is illustrated with Linda Davick's perfectly expressive cartoon style. There's also some fun wish fulfillment going on in this little chapter book. For instance, Mimi and her friends each live alone on their own floors in an apartment building and drive their own cars around town. These are the kinds of details that will amuse imaginative kids.  It's Not Easy Being Mimi is a quirky, silly book that reminds young readers th...

The Assassination of Brangwain Spurge By M.T. Anderson and Eugene Yelchin Candlewick Press, 2018. Illustrated fiction. The noted Elfin historian Brangwain Spurge has been sent on a diplomatic mission across the Bonecruel Mountains into the Kingdom of the Goblins - a journey from which no elf has returned in hundreds of years. His mission is to gift an ancient Goblin artifact to the mysterious overlord Ghohg and spy on the evil goblin government for the leaders of the Order of the Clean Hand. Meanwhile,  goblin and fellow historian Werfel is hoping to be a gracious host to his elfin guest - and report on any mysterious activity to the goblin secret police. The adventure that unfolds is hilarious, exciting, and will likely spell disaster for both the goblin and the elf. This is a wonderfully unique, epic fantasy novel that blends together prose, epistolary, and graphic narrative to effectively remind readers that what we believe is not necessarily true, and not everyone can ...

Fur, Feather, Fin: All of Us Are Kin Written by Diane Lang Illustrated by Stephanie Laberis Beach Lane Books, 2018. Informational. Full of beautifully illustrated examples of many different types of animals on our earth, paired with fun but informative rhymes, “Fur, Feather, Fin: All of Us Are Kin” is a sweet and smart explanation of the differences and similarities that make up the animal kingdom. Ranging from birds, to fish, to humans, this informational book explores the scientific reasons that we look and act different from each other, while bringing it all together with the overarching things that we have in common. Diane Lang’s book is easy to read and understand, and is written in a way that little ones will comprehend. Stephanie Laberis’s illustrations round out the upbeat science lessons, boasting colorful and cute representations of the animals talked about in the pages. The details are lovely and the results are beautiful pictures that will delight anybody r...

Little Elfie One  By Pamela Jane Illustrated by Jane Manning Balzer + Bray, An Imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, 2018. Picture Book. Not only is this one of the new Christmas picture books for the year, but it is also a book that you can that is a parody of the old nursery rhyme “Over in the Meadow”. Basically all different kinds of creatures and objects—from elves to polar bears to stars to gingerbread men—are starting to prepare for Christmas as they count up from “little elfie one” to “little kittens ten” with a mama cat. This is a fun little story that will help kiddos get excited for the holiday.

Sweep: a story of a girl and her monster By: Jonathan Auxier New York: Amulet Books, 2018. Fiction. 344 p. Nan Sparrow is a ten year old orphan girl  who doesn't go to school but must work sweeping chimneys. She is fast and very careful but one day she gets stuck in a chimney fire and she knows she is going to die. Instead she wakes up to find herself in an attic with a strange creature who has been created, by the fire, from her lucky "char" that she carries in her pocket.  It is a golem made from soot and ash that she names Charlie.  He became her responsibility and her protector and together they make a new life together and save each other in the process. I loved the historical elements the author brought into this story that was informative about the time period before child labor laws had gone into effect. Enjoy this heart felt adventure story about friendship and discovery told by the incredible story teller Jonathan Auxier. 

Front Desk Written by Kelly Yang Arthur A. Levine Books, 2018. Fiction, 286 p. Mia Tang came with her parents from China to the United States of America. Everyone promised it would be "The Land of Opportunity" but things don't seem to be going quite as planned. Her parents find an opportunity to manage a hotel, which means the rent is included! Maybe they really can get ahead and finally catch up on finances! Mr. Yao, the hotel owner, ends up being different than they first thought. He is mean and stingy. Her dad hardly gets any sleep and her parents can barely manage to put food on the table, but Mia does find a best friend named Lupe. She also pursues writing, even though her mom tells her that since English is her second language she should pick a subject like Math. Mia doesn't give up. She enters an essay contest to win a hotel and comes up with a brilliant idea to help her parents get out of the poverty cycle. Yang has crafted a middle grade fiction th...

Louisiana's Way Home By Kate DiCamillo Candlewick Press, 2018. Fiction. Louisiana Elefante, daughter of the famous Flying Elefantes trapeze duo, lives with her granny in Florida until the night her granny wakes her in the middle of the night to tell her they're leaving immediately - and forever. Granny has been told in a dream that the day of reckoning has arrived and they need to journey to break their family curse. Their nighttime road trip is derailed when Granny has a dental emergency that requires the removal of all of her teeth and leaves the two in Richford, Georgia, far from Louisiana's. When Louisiana finds her granny gone one day, leaving a note behind, it starts to seem that she'll never find her way back home. Louisiana is a character readers first encountered in RAYMIE NIGHTINGALE (2016) but this book can still easily stand-alone. Kate DiCamillo is a two-time Newbery Award winning author well known for introducing distinctive characters and Louisia...

The Magical History of Mermaids  by Russ Thorne London, United Kingdom: Flame Tree Publishing, 2018. Non-fiction. 127 pgs.  Don't let the size of this book overwhelm you. It may be thick, but each chapter is broken down into easily-read sections and there are oodles of full page illustrations.   Quotes about mermaids, taken both from  literature  and celebrity interviews, are sprinkled throughout the pages as well.  The author covers a lot of mer topics, from origin myths to pop culture references to the many different types of mermaids that could possibly exist.  Written in a voice aimed at older readers (10+), the information is presented in a casual and approachable way.   Be sure not to miss the interview with a real life mermaid at the very end!  Whether you're a mermaid skeptic or believer, you're sure to enjoy this book. 

The Snowy Nap By Jan Brett G.P. Putnam’s Sons, an Imprint of Penguin Random House LLC, 2018. Picture Book. With December here and a slew of holidays right around the corner, I thought I would share one of the new books with a “snow” theme—and really Jan Brett is probably the queen when it comes to writing and illustrating “snow” picture book stories. Not only does Brett tell a good tale full of Scandinavian influences and cold winter scenes but she also is the master of simultaneous stories—there is an extra story in all of her sidebars. In this delightful tale Hedgie (a hedgehog) is taking one last stroll around the farm before settling in for his long winter’s nap; however, the rest of the farm animals tease him to no end about all the fun in the snow that he will miss. In order to potentially see the icicles, the geese sliding around the pond, or the pony pulling the sleigh with jingle bells; Hedgie decides to do the impossible—stay up and experience winter. The kind Lisa (t...

Read in Monday Book Babies The Perfect Siesta By Pato Mena Nube Ocho, 2016.  Picture Book. The perfect book to read before bed.  Kids will laugh with exotic animals trying to nap just before they do!  It is very hot in the jungle and suddenly a nice breeze arrives.  The jaguar wants to take a siesta.  Just then he saw a coati and said, “Could you do me a big favor?  Could you wake me up in exactly 10 minutes?”  The coati wanted a siesta too, and asked the cockatiel to wake him up in exactly 10 minutes.  Promising to wake someone up is a big responsibility...  --Publisher Read in Monday Cuentos Déjame decorar el árbol de Navidad Escrito por Mireille d’Allancé Traducción por Anna Coll-Vinent Editorial Corimbo, 1999.  Spanish Picture Book. Esta mañana papá ha venido del bosque con un enorme árbol para decorar. "¡Súper!", piensa Pol. Pero, decepción: papá no le deja tocar nada. Las guirnaldas son frágiles, ...

Early Literacy Tip: Writing! Mini Artist: Drawing Written by Paul Calver Using illustrated step-by-step projects, this book teaches young readers basic art theory by showing them how to interpret and reconstruct things they see as series of simple shapes. Doodler Doodling Words by Rita Golden Gelman Pictures by Paul O. Zelinsky Teachers teach, flyers fly, painters paint, climbers climb--and teachers fly, climbers paint .... Danny's Drawing Book Written by Sue Heap On a trip to the zoo with his friend Ettie, Danny draws pictures of some animals, who then lead the two on an imaginary adventure to Africa and back. Little Plane Learns to Write Written by Stephen Savage Little Plane learns to write by practicing his skywriting. Harold y el Lápiz Color Morado Por Crockett Johnson Harold provides himself with many adventures with his purple crayon. 123 I Can Draw! Written by Irene Luxbacher Offers clear, step-by-step illustrated techniques for creating fu...