Provo Library Children's Book Blog

Read in Monday Book Babies Dream Big By Joyce Wan Scholastic Inc., 2019.  Small Picture Book. In this dreamy oversized board book, little ones will find the courage and strength to achieve anything they want -- all by dreaming big! With inspiring illustrations of female trailblazers and icons of history and simple, hopeful text, Joyce Wan creates a moving send-off for graduates of all ages. Included in the back is a simple guide to some of the bold dreamers who came before us who followed their dreams . . . and changed the world.  --Publisher Read in Monday Cuentos Los Tres Cerditos Por David Wiesner Traducción de Christiane Reyes Editorial Juventud, 2003.  Spanish Picture Book. Los tres cerditos escapan del lobo yendo a otro mundo donde se encuentran con el gato y el violín, la vaca que saltó sobre la luna y un dragón.  --Publisher Read in Toddler Time Love You More Written by Gary Urda Illustrated by Jenn...

The Hug By Eoin McLaughlin Faber & Faber, 2019. Picture Book. In this clever flip book both Hedgehog and Tortoise need a hug. There's only one problem. No one will hug them. Understandably so, since they are both tricky animals to hug. Will Tortoise and Hedgehog find each other? When I started this book, I thought it was a cute read. Then I got to the middle and I realized it was genius. Two parallel stories that meet in the middle require the reader to flip the book. Parents and children will love this interactive book and the message that sometimes we all need a hug.

Charlotte's Web By E.B. White Performed by Meryl Streep with a full cast Listening Library/ Random House Audio, 2019. Book on CD. Charlotte's Web is a children's book that almost needs no introduction. Despite being first published over 60 years ago, it remains a favorite novel of readers everywhere. Charlotte's Web is the story of Wilbur - a runt pig who is distraught to learn that he will soon become the farmer's Christmas dinner. His best friend in the barn, a spider named Charlotte, comes up with a clever plan to save his life. This new audiobook version of Charlotte's Web is nothing short of magical. A full cast of characters is lead by Meryl Streep as the narrator in a quiet, understated kind of way that suits both the normalcy and wonder of this classic story. Though the original audiobook of Charlotte's Web, narrated by E.B. White who does all the voices, is a classic in its own right - this new version is a perfect way to rediscover this t...

Nadiya's Bake Me a Story Written by Nadiya Hussain and illustrated by Clair Rossiter Join Great British Bake off sensation Nadiya Hussain for scrumptious stories and delicious bakes all the family can enjoy. A unique collection of storybook and cookbook brought together by Nadiya herself. Meet Ruby red and the three bears, then make some very berry muffins. Join Rapunzel on a special adventure then make her carrot and nutmeg cookies. Kids Cooking: Students Prepare and Eat Foods from Around the World Written by George Ancona Roll up your sleeves, wash your hands, and join four different groups of kids as they prepare recipes from all over the world, step by step. George Ancona's photographs record every crumb of effort as the children make their way around the kitchen, chopping, measuring, rolling, mixing, and learning about the food they're eager to eat. The end result? Roasted vegetables from Morocco, fried rice from China, minestrone from Italy, and salsa from...

Path to the Stars: My Journey from Girl Scout to Rocket Scientist By Sylvia Acevedo Clarion Books, 2018. Juvenile Biography, pp. 309 Sylvia Acevedo has had an impressive life. She earned a graduate degree from Stanford, worked as a rocket scientist, works with the United States government to further education opportunities for Hispanic people, and is the CEO of the Girl Scouts of America, an institution that she credits with much of her success. In her new memoir, Acevedo talks about her early childhood and how her experiences shaped her into the driven woman she is today. Although Acevedo talks about much happiness and encouragement in her early years and education, she also dealt with watching a sister suffer from meningitis, being both Hispanic and a girl while trying to break into engineering, and a family that was unprepared for much of what life threw at them. Through it all, she persevered and accomplished not only a great deal of professional achievement, but established...

The Merry Chase (1941) Written and Illustrated by Clement Hurd Upon meeting a dog at a street corner, a cat runs as fast as she can and leads him on a merry chase through kitchens, across tables, over people, and under traffic until finally reaching a safe haven. The Little House (1942) Written and Illustrated by Virginia Lee Burton A country house is unhappy when the city, with all its buildings and traffic, grows up around her. Angus Lost (1932) Written and Illustrated by Marjory Flack A little Scottish terrier leaves his home to see what the outside world is like. The Little Island (1946) Written by Margaret Wise Brown Illustrated by Leonard Weisgard Depicts the changes that occur on a small island as the seasons come and go, as day changes to night, and as a storm approaches. Petunia (1950) Written and Illustrated by Roger Duvoisin Petunia, the goose, learns that possessing knowledge involves more than just carrying a book around under her wing...

The Infinity Year of Avalon James  By Dana Middleton Feiwel & Friends, 2016. 214 p. Best friends Avalon and Atticus are excited to be ten. Atticus’ grandpa tells them about how in their tenth year they will get their “infinity powers” or a magical ability to do something that only happens when they are ten. However, with bullying and trouble at home Avalon’s life is as unpredictable as when her infinity powers might come—which doesn’t help when trouble starts brewing between the best friends. This story pours Avalon’s heart out on the page and readers can’t help but cheer for Avalon, boo the bullies, and hope that the best-friendship will last through it all.

Read in Book Babies Peek-a-Bruce By Ryan T. Higgins Disney Hyperion, 2019.  Small Picture Book. Bruce's goslings want to play with him. But where could that bear be? This original board book in the best-selling Mother Bruce series will delight young fans of seek-and-find activities as they hunt for Bruce on every spread. Just right for our littlest readers, this book is sure to bring a smile to even the grumpiest face.  --Publisher Read in Monday Cuentos ¡Te lo regalo! Escrito por Gabriela Keselman Ilustrado por Nora Hilb Cuento de Luz, 2013.  Spanish Picture Book. Los vecinos de la charca de Patón tienen problemas: el castor no se ha puesto la gorra y ahora le quema mucho el sol, la ardilla ha perdido sus nueces y ahora tiene mucha hambre, y el oso ha volcado su jarra de agua y ahora está sediento. ¡Menos mal que está Patón, dispuesto a ayudar al resto de los animales con sus regalos! ¡Te lo regalo! es un enternecedor cuento sobre la soli...

The Infinite Lives of Maisie Day By Christopher Edge Random House Children's Books, 2019. Fiction. 150 pg. On the morning of Maisie Day’s 10th birthday, she wakes up and discovers that her world has been turned upside-down. She goes downstairs expecting to find her family getting all ready to celebrate with her, but instead she is greeted by an empty house. As she investigates further, she opens the front door and finds an endless blackness that begins to overtake everything. Using her knowledge of physics and love of science, she attempts to solve this mystery and put things right again. This is a great book for anyone who loves to ask questions and think outside of the box. For anyone who has ever felt like they don’t fit in, this book is a great story of finding a place and using the talents that you have been given. Filled with fun examples of physics in action combined with a science fiction feeling, this book will keep you guessing until the end.  ...

The Last Last-Day-of-Summer By Lamar Giles Boston: Versify, 2019. Fiction. It's the last day before school starts, which everyone knows is actually the last day of summer. Otto and Sheed -- a duo famous for their adventurous exploits in their normal-but-strange hometown --are debating which adventure to solve on their last day of freedom when the mysterious Mr. Flux appears. Otto and Sheed's wish for summer to never end is granted when they accidentally freeze time with Mr. Flux's odd camera. With everyone and everything in their town frozen, its up to the Legendary Alston Boys to set things right. This is a wonderfully surreal science fiction novel for any reader who wishes that their normal life was a little less normal. Fry, Virginia - the new fictional town you wish you could visit - is an epicenter of peculiarity where completely fantastical events are as normal as being home on time for dinner. In his middle grade debut, Giles shows off his natural talent for...

Titanic: voices from the disaster By: Deborah Hopkinson New York: Scholastic Press, 2012. Informational. Tells the tale of the sinking of the Titanic using the narratives of the witnesses and survivors to the disaster. Titanic's tragic journey By: Thomas Troupe Picture Window Books, a Capstone imprint, 2018. Informational. Presents the last hours of the Titanic, which sank after colliding with an iceberg in the spring of 1912. The Titanic's crew: working aboard the great ship By: Terri Dougherty Capstone Press, a Capstone imprint, 2015. Informational. Describes the experiences of the crew of the Titanic, including daily responsibilities as well as how they handled the sinking of the ship. Titanic: young survivors By: Allan Zullo New York, NY: Scholastic Inc., 2016. Informational. Documents the stories of ten real-life survivors of the Titanic disaster, including seventeen-year-old Jack Thayer and eleven-year-old Billy Carter. The sea...

Two Brothers, Four Hands : the Artists Alberto and Diego Giacometti Written by : Jan Greenberg Illustrated by: Hadley Hooper New York: Holiday House, 2019. Informational. This spectacular biography was written about two brothers Alberto and Diego Giacometti, both artists and sculptors who conveyed through art, the weariness of World War II. Through magnificent illustrations the story of  these two brothers, their relationship and struggles as individuals and brothers is told in a beautiful visual presentation. Only thirteen months apart these brothers were extremely close even though they appeared to have very little in common they were always there for each other helping and supporting the other through the difficult and prosperous times of their lives. One brothers accomplishments would not have happened if it hadn't been for the involvement of  the other brothers skills and dedication. Their lives were intertwined like their stories in this book "Two Brot...

Stormy: A Story About Finding a Forever Home  By Guojing Schwartz & Wade, 2019. Picture Book. A shy stray puppy lives under a bench in a park. One day a kind woman comes to the park and notices the puppy. The puppy runs away from the bench, obviously scared of the woman. The next time the woman comes to the park she brings a ball and a newspaper with her. She is kind and shows that she wants the puppy to be happy without trying to frighten him. With a bit of patience, the ball, and a storm the puppy starts to trust the woman, the woman gives her heart to the puppy, and both possibly finds a new meaning for happy and home. This is another beautifully illustrated story. It is wordless story and some pages have multiple panels similar to a comic picture book to help show the extent of the puppy’s feelings at different points of the story. I honestly thing that the expressions of the puppy and the sweeping movement of how the storm is illustrated makes the book. These illus...

Read in Monday Book Babies Babies Around the World: Dancing Written by Tamara Barker Illustrated by Violet Lemay Duo Press, 2019.  Small Picture Book. Samba, flamenco, step dance, and more.  Let's dance together around the world.  Party away with an international lineup of babies who welcome you to their amazing countries.  Let's boogie with them all around this musical planet.  --Publisher. Read in Monday Cuentos Esos zapatos Escrito por Maribeth Boelts Ilustrado por Noah Z. Jones Traducido por Teresa Mlawer Candlewick Press, 2018.  Spanish Picture Book. Todo lo que Jeremy quiere es un par de esos zapatos, como los que llevan puestos los otros chicos de su escuela. Pero su abuela le explica que ellos no están para hablar de "quiero", sino de "necesito", y lo que Jeremy necesita son unas botas nuevas para el invierno.  --Publisher Read in Toddler Time Jazz Baby Written by Lisa Wheeler Illustrated by...

There Was an Old Woman Who Lived in a Book By Jomike Tejido Jimmy Petterson Books Little, Brown and Company, 2019. Picture Book. You may have heard about the little old woman who lived in a shoe, but have you heard about the old woman who lives in a book? For all fans of fairy tales and nursery rhymes this book is an absolute must read. Spinning off of the classic tale, There Was an Old Woman who Lived in a Shoe , Jomike Tejido combines characters from a variety of popular fairy tales into one darling picture book. In this story, the little old woman who lives in a book goes out to call her children to dinner - only to find them missing. She travels to neighboring books and talks with characters such as the three bears, humpty dumpty, and the big bad wolf to find out where her children might have run off to. Much to her surprise, none of them have seen her children but they are all also missing valuable parts of their stories. Together they set off on a journey to find their m...

Big Mouth Elizabeth Written by Rachel Vail Illustrated by Paige Keiser Feiwel and Friends, 2019. J Intermediate, 117 pg. Elizabeth is starting to get worried that she's one of the few kids in her second grade class who still hasn't lost a tooth yet. Things get even worse when some classmates create the Big Mouth Club and begin excluding Elizabeth and a girl she calls Babyish Cali. It feels bad to be left out. Can Elizabeth figure out other ways to fit in? This is a solid intermediate chapter book for newly independent readers who like realistic stories about kids just like them. It's funny, understated and true, like Ramona Quimby but written at a first or second grade level. This series starts with  A is for Elizabeth  and it looks like it should continue through the whole alphabet.

My Wild Cat Isabelle Simler Grand Rapids: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, 2019. Picture book. All cats are related. No, really. Your domestic house cat (who may or may not be liquid) is a cousin of lions, tigers, cougars, and more. This picture book, a French import, will remind you of exactly that. Simple text tells us about the naturally predatory nature of cats with text that often disagrees with the largely sedentary lifestyle of house cats. Occasional footnotes give excellent scientific context to a text that is both humorous and sweet. This book is a true love letter to cats that all cat people will enjoy. 

Selkie By Josephine Birch Starfish Bay Children's Books, 2019. Picture Book. Soft colors and gentle illustrations grace the pages of this wordless picture book about a fisherman who falls overboard and explores the underwater world with a friendly seal. Their journey through the depths of the ocean is magical, giving the young man a new view of the world, and a new friend. Although he doesn't stay with the seal, it can be assumed that he is forever changed by his exploration of a world previously unfamiliar. Birch's story without words is calming, both because of the sweet story, and because of the limited ocean-themed color palette. Readers won't know exactly what happened under the water, because of the lack of text, but the emotions of the story shine through in the simplicity of the illustrations.

I Love You, Michael Collins  By Lauren Baratz-Logsted Farrar Straus Giroux, 2018. 230 p. It is 1969 and the world is collectively holding their breath as three astronauts prepare to launch into space and head for the moon. Ten-year-old Mamie’s class is given an assignment to write a letter to one of the three astronauts. All the girls choose to write to Neil Armstrong. All the boys choose to write to Buzz Aldrin. Mamie alone chooses to write to Michael Collins—the one who will get as close to the moon as possible but will never step foot on it. Her class thinks she is crazy. After the assignment is over, Mamie still writes letters to Michael Collins. She is worried about things that are happening in her life and she is worried about all the dangers that Michael Collins is about to face. This is a beautifully-written story about a girl who is trying to figure out who she is (although she does know she doesn’t want to be the same as everyone else just for the sake of being t...

Read in Monday Book Babies Toad on the Road: A Cautionary Tale By Stephen Shaskan Harper, 2017.  Picture Book. Toad on the road?  There's a toad on the road!  Hey, little toad, get out of the way!  You could get hurt.  That's no place to play.  What do you think your mama would say?  With bouncy text and vivid illustrations, this lively picture book will have readers giggling along with Toad's silly antics.  --Publisher Read in Monday Cuentos ¿A qué sabe la luna? Escrito por Michael Grejniec Traducción al castellano por Carmen Barreiro Kalandraka, 2019.  Spanish Picture Book. Hacía mucho tiempo que los animales deseaban averiguar a qué sabía la luna. ?Sería dulce o salada? Tan solo querían probar un pedacito. Por las noches, miraban ansiosos hacia el cielo. Se estiraban e intentaban cogerla, alargando el cuello, las piernas y los brazos. ?Quién no son̳ó alguna vez con darle un mordisco a la luna? Este fue p...

The Bizzies By Paula Merl á n Cuento De Luz, 2019. Picture Book. The Bizzies are one busy family. Mrs. Bizzie is a detective with curly hair that conceals all her gadgets. Mr. Busy is an adventure photographer. Bianca Bizzie enjoys spending time with her animals, and her little brother, Barnaby, is a great cook. Unfortunately, the Bizzie's favorite things start to go missing. Will they find out who took their things? This is a cute book with a subtle message about prioritizing family time. The illustrations were unique, the characters relatable, and there is a happy ending. However, the absolute best part about this book was the texture of the pages. The book was made with Stone Paper, which is a bio-plastic material. This special paper gives the book extra durability and adds to the reading experience.

Nature All Around: Trees Written by Pamela Hickman Illustrated by Carolyn Gavin Kids Can Press, Toronto, ON 2019.  Informational, 32 pages This beautifully illustrated book is the perfect introduction to trees. With careful focus on the individual parts of a trees, readers see the differences among them and the changes they go through in each season. Children can learn about pollination, forest regions, and tree animal life on simple, easy to understand pages. In addition to the pleasantly displayed information, the artistic renderings of so many trees will brighten anyone's day. Pick up this book to spark the love of learning in your curious little reader.

More to the Story By Hena Khan New York: Salaam Reads, 2019. Fiction. 13-year-old Jameela is pleased to start the new school year with everything going her way - she has just been named features editor of her school newspaper, she has a promising new friendship with Ali - an English boy who has just moved to Georgia, and she is *mostly* getting along with her three sisters. But then, Jameela's dad is sent abroad for work - meaning he'll miss Eid for the first time ever and Jameela and her family is distraught. Things are just made worse at school when a mistake causes strain in Jameela's relationship with Ali and at home where her younger sister Bisma is diagnosed with cancer. Inspired by Louisa May Alcott's Little Women, this novel deals with a Pakistani American family growing and coming of age together. As a fan of Little Women, I was reluctant to read a retelling - why try to improve on such a classic? But while this book puts the classic story of the March ...

Unicorns: magic, myth and mystery By Virginia Loh-Hagan Books in the Magic, Myth, and Mystery series explore those spooky creatures that go bump in the night, fill our dreams (or nightmares!), and make us afraid of the dark. In Unicorns you'll learn more about these fascinating creatures. Written with a high interest level to appeal to a more mature audience and a lower level of complexity with clear visuals to help struggling readers along. Considerate text includes tons of fascinating information and wild facts that will hold the readers' interest, allowing for successful mastery and comprehension. A table of contents, glossary with simplified pronunciations, and index all enhance comprehension. Flower Fairies of the Trees By Cicely Barker A collection of illustrated poems describing a variety of flowering trees. Dragon Legends By Matt Doeden Describes popular dragon legends and myths from around the world. A Forest of Stories: magical tree tales from around ...