Provo Library Children's Book Blog

Read at Stories in the Park Marlo and the Dinosaurs By Christopher Browne Balzer + Bray, 2018.  Picture Book. When Marlo wakes up from his afternoon nap, he spots something curious....  His investigation brings him into a lush jungle, where a whole new world full of colorful dinosaurs of every size awaits him.  With clever seek-and-find elements on each spread, this book is a feast of imagination and visual delights.  --Publisher Read at Stories in the Park Aliens Love Dinopants Written by Claire Freedman Illustrated by Ben Cort Aladdin, 2015.  Picture Book. When a group of aliens crash-lands in the jungle, they stumble upon the biggest stash of underpants ever.  But the oversized owners of the underwear treasure aren't going to back down without a fight!  This latest laugh-out-loud tale in the bestselling Underpants Books series brings together aliens and dinosaurs in one interstellar, prehistoric, pants-tastic adventur...

Dolly Parton Written by Ma Isabel S á nchez Vergara Illustrated by Daria Solak Frances Lincoln Children's Books, an imprint of The Quarto Group, 2019. Informational. How did Dolly Parton become the country star we know of today? Where did she begin, and what has she accomplished along the way? While Dolly Parton is known for her beautiful voice and bold look, she came from humble beginnings and continues to give back to those in similar situations. Read this adorably-illustrated biography to learn all about her and the events that helped shape her into who she is today, from singing on the radio after school to opening a grand theme park.

Doreen Rappaport was born in New York City in a home filled with music. Her mother was a singer and her father was a musical arranger. With this musical background, Doreen studied the piano and became a junior high music teacher after graduating from Brandeis University. In 1965 she began teaching in McComb, Mississippi and realized that there was a large part of American history which she had never really understood. Doreen began to write books about people's struggles against oppression to bring light to less well known parts of history. She is now the award-winning author of over 60 children's books which celebrate the lives of those who have overcome hard things to make an impact on the world. Walt's imagination: the life of Walt Disney Written by Doreen Rappaport Illustrated by John Pomeroy From his childhood in rural Missouri to his legendary stature as a film and television icon, Walt governed his life with imagination, ingenuity, and scrupulous attention to...

Leyla By Galia Bernstein Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2019. Picture book. Leyla has a mother, a father, nine aunts, and twenty-three cousins and they are all noisy, busy, and constantly fussing over her. Leyla just wants a little peace and quiet - so she runs away. She runs away so far she can't hear, see, or smell her family and she's totally alone except for a lizard. A lizard who teaches her how sit quietly and do nothing until Leyla is recharged and ready to return to her family. Leyla is a wonderfully expressive little baboon who learns that a little downtime and self-care can do wonders to clear a mind. This beautifully drawn picture book is a sweet introduction to meditation for littles.

Rumple Buttercup: A Story of Bananas, Belonging, and Being Yourself By Matthew Gray Gubler Random House, 2019. Intermediate. Rumple Buttercup knows that he is weird-looking. He has only five teeth, and they’re all crooked, and he only has three hairs on his head, plus green skin. He lives in a sewer, with only Candy Corn Carl, the imaginary friend that he made out of candy and trash. Rumple dreams of living outside the sewer grate, where he would be able to participate in all of the fun that he sees happening every day. But he knows that his appearance makes him look like a monster, and that people would think he was weird. So he hides out in his sewer, pretending to be a part of the outside world, but feeling more sad and lonely each day. But when something unexpected happens, he’s surprised to learn the outside world isn’t quite what he thought it would be. Rumple Buttercup is a sweet character, who longs for friendship and fun. His story is fun to follow because we can all ...

Francisco X. Stork was born in Monterrey, Mexico to a single mother. When his mother eventually married, they moved to the United States. Stork's adoptive father supported his young desire to pursue writing, which eventually lead to him attending a private high school, and later a university, on scholarship. He then received a prestigious fellowship to study Latin American literature at Harvard. Before launching into his writing career, Stork studied at Columbia Law School and practiced law for twenty years. He has written seven novels, five of which are displayed below. Note that these are adult and young adult fiction novels, not children's novels. Disappeared By Francisco X. Stork Four months ago Sara Zapata's best friend, Linda, disappeared from the streets of Juarez, and ever since Sara has been using her job as a reporter to draw attention to the girls who have been kidnapped by the criminals who control the city, but now she and her family are being threatene...

I Will Race You Through This Book!  By Jonathan Fenske Penguin Workshop, 2019. 32 p. This is a STELLER easy reader for those who need a little acclimation for having read a book all on their own. In this story Book-It Bunny has challenged the reader to a race—a race to get to the end of the book first. Book-It Bunny is sure that he is going to be the best reader…only it turns out that the reader is pretty good at actually reading the book. Book-It Bunny tries all the trickiest tricks in the book to win the race (sneaking, getting a head-start, etc.) to make it to the end first. Readers who like beating tricky characters who break the fourth wall and talk to readers will enjoy this. And, perhaps it will be just the book to help those early readers start to feel the confidence to read with speed and gusto.

Read at Stories in the Park Not a Box By Antoinette Portis HarperCollins Publishers, 2006.  Picture Book. A box is just a box...unless it's not a box. From mountain to rocket ship, a small rabbit shows that a box will go as far as the imagination allows. Inspired by a memory of sitting in a box on her driveway with her sister, Antoinette Portis captures the thrill when pretend feels so real that it actually becomes real —when the imagination takes over inside a cardboard box, and through play, a child is transported to a world where anything is possible. The simple text makes the book appropriate for toddlers, but the message and retro feel of the book also lead to it being an original and compelling gift to mark an occasion such as a graduation.  --Publisher Read at Stories in the Park Oh No! (Or How My Science Project Destroyed the World) Written by Mac Barnett Illustrated by Dan Santat Disney Hyperion, 2010.  Picture Book. Some k...

The Gauntlet Written by Karuna Riazi Salaam Reads, 2017. 298 p. Fiction At Farah's 12th birthday party, she is anxious to break away from her nosy, needy little brother, Ahmed, and reconnect with her distanced best friends. When she receives a present that looks like a harmless board game called "The Gauntlet of Blood and Sand", until the little game pieces start to take the faces of the players. The kids decide playing the game is not a good idea. But when Ahmed suddenly disappears into the game Farah and her friends have to join the game and save her brother.  Sucked into an alternate, dark world, the gang must complete dangerous tasks and avoid nefarious opponents. As they solve puzzles and get closer to finding Ahmed, Farah learns the importance of friendship and family while testing her whits. This stellar story is a great Jumanji spin-off with a dark and creepy twist. With mechanical monkeys and an all-knowing Architect to the game, this book will keep ...

Our Castle by the Sea By Lucy Strange Chicken House/Scholastic, 2019. Fiction. It's 1939 and Petra's coastal English town is being torn apart by the onslaught of World War II. Petra has always managed to feel safe at home in her family's lighthouse until her German-born mother is sent to an internment camp as a potential enemy alien and Pet's life begins to spiral. There is a mysterious, traitorous local cutting phone lines, German planes landing in nearby fields, and Petra's sister Magda who is clearly hiding something. The building action is highlighted by a strange ancient legend of the Daughters of Stone. This tightly written novel is a deeply satisfying read - filled with twists and turns, memorable (if not likable) characters, and a wonderfully atmospheric setting. Historically accurate details underscore the main plot to leave readers wanting more. Reminiscent of THE WAR THAT SAVED MY LIFE, WOLF HOLLOW, and, somehow, Hercule Poirot novels - this is a...

Beastly puzzles : a brain-boggling animal guessing game By: Rachel Poliquin Toronto, On : Kids can press, 2019. Informational. If you enjoy fun engaging informational books this is the book for you. Look at some simple items from around your house and then try and guess what animal would use something like a hammer. For example, what animal would use a file, glue, oil, silver thread, 4 sewing pins, a thimble and one foot?  A garden snail. If you lift the flap you can learn all kinds of interesting facts about this common garden animal. Did you know that snail slime is  like glue, it helps the snail stick so it can hang upside down? This same slime also works like oil and helps it to slide where it needs to go. This book is full of stellar animal facts that are presented in an appealing way with its puzzle game approach to learning. The animal clues are illustrated with classic illustrations that don't give away any answers, so with some guessing and discussion y...

Camp  By Kayla Miller Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2019. 213 p. This is a stellar camp story to read over the summer. It is about two best friends Olive and Willow who are excited to go to camp. Olive makes new camp friends easily; however, Willow doesn’t and is a bit jealous that Olive is happy to do things with new friends. Thus begins the drama of two friends and their camp experience—should they make new friends and do some different camp activities or should they stick just to each other and what they know. This is a good graphic novel for those who like Smile by Raina Telgemeier and who love seeing how experiences like going to camp can change your whole summer.

Read at Stories in the Park Tiny Little Rocket By Richard Collingridge David Fickling Books, 2018.  Picture Book. There's a tiny little rocket that will take you to the stars. It only flies there once a year but zips you out past Mars. Its fins are solid silver with a door made out of gold. There's a cozy pilot seat inside for a person young or old.  Climb aboard for a bedtime picture book sure to appeal to every kid's sense of wonder. Young readers will love stepping into the cockpit of a wonderful rocket ship that takes them zipping through the planets, stars, and space, all the way back home to Earth and their cozy beds!  --Publisher Read at Stories at the Park Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Car Written by Kate Dopirak Illustrated by Mary Peterson Beach Lane Books, 2018.  Picture Book. A little red car beeps good night to all of his four-wheeled friends in this fresh take on the classic song, “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.” Twinkle, t...

The Strangers By: Margaret Peterson Haddix Harper Collins Publishers, 2019. 405 p. Fiction This stellar story is the first in a new series called Greystone Secrets by Margaret Peterson Haddix.  This book is full of intrigue and suspense with an abundance of mystery. Three children, Chess, Emma and Finn Greystone come home one day from school and learn that three other children, in Arizona, with the same first names and birthdays as theirs have gone missing. The next day their mother informs them that she has to go away on a business trip and they will be staying with Mrs. Morales, a lady they have never met. That same day they discover that their mother is not coming back and their adventure begins.  This book is full of puzzles, secret codes and ciphers and as with other books written by this author the pacing was perfect. If you are a lover of Science Fiction and Margaret Peterson Haddix you will really enjoy this middle grade adventure story that is packed ...

The Swimmers: Paper Cut-Outs with Matisse By Ana Bianchi Gingko Press, Inc., 2018. Informational. This beautiful informational book is both a brief biography about Henri Matisse and an art activity guide. Bianchi gives context for Matisse and his shockingly colorful fauvist paintings. Then we learn that in his later life Matisse was wheelchair bound and in poor health. Without the strength to create art in his usual way, he decided he would paint with scissors instead. And so began Matisse's interest in bright, bold collage. Bianchi describes Matisse's approach to this medium as sometimes representational, sometimes abstract, and often utilizing both the positive and the negative of his paper cut outs. The book then gives instructions for how to make your own art projects inspired by Matisse. There are lots of useful tips and tricks, including the advice to use pins to set up your composition before finalizing with glue, and the suggestion to limit yourself to a co...

Jason Chin studied illustration at Syracuse University and now lives with his family in Vermont. He likes to combine science with storytelling to write books that are both educational and captivating. Grand Canyon   By Jason Chin   An exploration of the Grand Canyon on a grand scale, as only Jason Chin can illustrate and explain. Redwoods   By Jason Chin A young city boy, riding the subway, finds an abandoned book about redwoods. He finds himself in the very forest described in the book. After finishing the book, he leaves it for someone else to read.   Pie is For Sharing   Written by Stephanie Ledyard Illustrated by Jason Chin   You're invited to a glorious Fourth of July picnic where you'll learn all about sharing, the good things along with the bad.   Nine Months: Before a Baby is Born   Written by Miranda Paul Illustrated by Jason Chin   As a baby grows in her mother's tummy, a soon-to-be big sis...

Creepy and True: Mummies Exposed! By Kerrie Logan Hollihan Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2019. Informational. For a few months when I was a little kid, my family lived in London, England where my favorite activity was visiting the British Museum to see the mummies. There is something about a mummy that just never gets old, and as this book (the first in the Creepy and True series) points out - there is always something new to learn. Even if your reader knows all about Egyptian mummies already, they likely haven't heard of soap mummies, bog mummies, or bronzed mummies yet. This expertly compiled compendium will introduce them to the most famous mummies in the world. I found this book completely fascinating, and I think other mummy fans will too. Many of the stories were familiar to me, but were so well-told I didn't even mind. In addition, there were a very generous number of "factlets" about mummies ancient and modern (like, really modern) that rounded out ...

The Frog Book Written and illustrated by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2019. Informational, pp. 33 Come one, come all, come frogs big and small! This is a book all about frogs—all the different kinds, and all the details you might not always associate with frogs. Some frogs are tiny and look sweet, but have poisonous skin. Some frogs are enormous, but don’t make a lot of noise. There are even some frogs with spines in their mouths, and some frogs who can jump forward a full seven feet with one leap. Frogs are a lot more interesting than we might have assumed, and they’re all so different from each other. What makes this book extra-special are the illustrations. All the frogs are depicted in beautiful, colorful detail, which shows off just how unique they each are. Some have such vivid colors that they seem to leap off the page! “The Frog Book” shares the stellar stories of how even in one group of animals, there can be so much variation. Frogs of all...

Abner & Ian Get Right-Side Up  By Dave Eggers Illustrated by Larua Park Little, Brown and Company, 2019. Picture Book This is such a STELLAR STORY! I have not loved an interactive picture book this much since Hervé Tullet’s Press Here book from 2011. Basically Abner and Ian are stuck sideways on the book pages (meaning that they are perpendicular to the “ground” in the book. They ask the kid reading the book to shake the book so that they can go right-side up again. Only, there are some unexpected consequences. Seriously, this is one brilliant book! I suspect there will be more than one set of kids giggling about all the shenanigans that come from shaking the book.

Read at Stories in the Park Rocket to the Moon By Lerryn Korda Candlewick Press, 2009.  Picture Book. "How do you get to the moon, Lester?" asks Little Nye. He can’t get there by jumping—he needs to go in a rocket. Stacking pots and pans, pails and umbrellas works very well, until he adds the engine, and—oh no!—it all tumbles down. But Nella and Gracie join in, donning clever homemade space helmets, and soon they’re ready for lift-off; four friends on a magical rocket trip to the moon.  --Publisher Read at Stories in the Park On Earth By G. Brian Karas G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2005.  Informational Book. Climb aboard a giant spaceship . . . the Earth! In glorious art, G. Brian Karas illuminates our Earth and its cycles and does a brilliant job of making the concepts of rotation and revolution understandable. As you travel, watch shadows disappear into night, and feel the sun on your face as winter turns into spring. All these amazing thing...

The Science of Spacecraft: The Cosmic Truth About Rockets, Satellites, and Probes Written by Alex Woolf Franklin Watts, an Imprint of Scholastic Inc., 2019. Informational Does the Summer Reading Program theme have you interested in space exploration? Check this book out! It has material regarding a wide variety of elements pertinent to spacecraft that is informative for both children and adults - making it a great one for parents to read with their future astronauts. Whether you are interested in the history of space exploration, how it works, what is being proposed for future endeavors, or all of the above, don't pass this book up.

Stella Diaz has Something to Say Written by Angela Dominguez Roaring Brook Press, 2018. Intermediate, 202 p. Stella is a shy 3rd grader. She was born in Mexico, but came to the United States when she was just a baby. She has to go to speech classes at school, because sometimes she uses Spanish on accident when she is speaking English and some sounds in English are hard to say correctly. Her best friend is in the other class this year, which is hard for Stella. A new boy comes into her class and Stella wants to be friends with him, because he also speaks Spanish, but she is not sure how to go about it. Everyone has to do an individual presentation for class and Stella is excited, but also nervous at the same time. This is a STELLAR STORY, because Stella has to figure out how to overcome her insecurities, be brave and say what needs to be said, no matter what other people may think! It is her journey becoming true to heritage and especially to herself.

The Portal By Kathryn Lasky Harper, 2019. Fiction. After Rose's mom dies, she is sent to live with her aging grandmother in Indianapolis. Off to a rocky start at first, Rose is bullied at school, has a hard time making friends, and finds her grandmother distant and constantly disoriented. This begins to change when Rose realizes that her grandmother's greenhouse is a secret portal to the court of Henry VIII and she can time-travel back to the 16th century. As a chambermaid for Princess Elizabeth, Rose finds herself caught up in the Tudor court - and a hunt for her long-lost father - while her own middle school drama plays out back home. Kathryn Lasky balances a contemporary realistic and historical fiction setting in this time-traveling adventure. The parallels between the modern world and the Hatfield Palace of Princess Elizabeth are mostly convincing and readers will be enticed by the frequent back-and-forths from the present to the past. This book ends with some pre...

The library of ever By: Zeno Alexander New York, 2019. Fiction If you enjoyed reading the book The Phantom Tollbooth you will love this new book by author Zeno Alexander, The library of ever. Lenora the fun and spunky protagonist is bored out of her mind. Its summer and she has nothing to do. Her rich parents are busy traveling the world and her nanny is busy ignoring her and she is stuck with nothing interesting to do all summer. There are so many wonderful things out there in the vast world and she was stuck doing nothing until one day when she happens into the library. After sneaking away from her nanny she discovers a secret doorway into a magical library. This library contains everything you could imagine, every book ever written and ever fact ever known. She begins an adventure of learning, travels to the future and faces a darkness that wants to destroy all knowledge. Lenora will uncover secrets among the library shelves and discover that knowledge is light.  ...

Harold & Hog Pretend for Real!  By Dan Santat Disney, 2019. 50 p. In this clever easy reader Elephant and Piggie are excited to read about Harold and Hog (a realistic-looking elephant and pig). Harold and Hog on the other hand are ecstatic to pretend to be Elephant and Piggie—until they realize that they are a little different than their heroes (Harold the elephant is more like Piggie and Hog the pig is more like Gerald). Harold and Hog then wonder if they can be best friends if they aren’t really like their counterparts in Elephant and Piggie books. This is a fun look at how those that read about characters in books like to pretend to be characters in books—something that many readers will totally relate to! Such fun!