Provo Library Children's Book Blog

We're Not From Here By Geoff Rodkey Crown Books for Young Readers, 2019. Fiction. With earth destroyed and limited resources dwindling, the surviving humans take refuge on Mars. The Earthlings don't know what to do and try to come up with solutions to their problems. When they are invited to join a civilization on Choom, a planet light-years away, humanity knows it's saved. When the humans arrive, it's been over 200 years for the people of Choom and a lot has changed. Can a boy and his family successfully navigate being the first humans on Choom? This is a great introductory book the science fiction genre. It has all the basic elements: aliens, space travel, and political turmoil without the dark and gritty details that usually accompany this genre. Rodkey does a great job at setting a consistent pace, introducing interesting characters, and posing realistic questions. Kids interested in aliens, space, or the daily struggles of fitting in will enjoy this read. ...

Diana, Princess of the Amazons By Shannon Hale and Dean Hale Illustrated by Victoria Ying Burbank, CA: DC Comics, 2020. Graphic novel. Eventually, eleven-year-old Diana will grow up to become Wonder Woman - member of the Justice League and superhero extraordinaire - but for now, she is the only child on the island of Themyscira. Being the only kid on an island full of amazing Amazons has its perks, but it also means there is no one to play with her and the other women on the island are too busy doing their important work. Diana has always heard stories of how her mother crafted her out of clay and then blew life into her, and she decides to try the same thing and make herself a friend. At first her new friend Mona seems like just what needs - someone to confide in, play with, and feel close to - until Mona's practical jokes start to grow out of hand and Diana is made to choose between loyalty to her family and her friend. This new entry into the DC Universe is a really ef...

The little guys By: Vera Brosgol New York: Roaring Book Press, 2019. Picture Book. The little guys are one of the smallest creatures in the forest but even though they are small they aim to be big and mighty. One morning they head off into the forest to find some breakfast and as they work together they do mighty things like cross deep waters and climb the tallest trees. Working together helps them get everything they need but when they start to become greedy and start taking everything for themselves things start falling apart.  This is a fun story by Vera Brosgol that teaches the importance of teamwork and helping everyone in the community not just yourself. When you are generous and considerate of others you can climb higher and are better together.

The Perfect Seat  By Minh Lê Illustrated by Gus Gordon Disney-Hyperion, 2019. Picture Book. A young moose and father buy a book at a book shop. The young moose then wants Daddy Moose to read the book to him. The older moose agrees but first they need to find “the perfect seat” where they can sit to read the book. Thus, the quest begins. From fire hydrants (“too small”) to tree tops (“too tall”) they go around the city looking for a place to read. Eventually the “perfect” seat is found (and it turns out to be one that every youngster can agree is the best one). This is a sweet book about how reading together is something that every family should strive to do together.

Read in Toddler Time Eat Pete! By Michael Rex Nancy Paulsen Books, 2018.  Picture Book. Pete couldn't be more thrilled when a monster shows up in his bedroom. Now Pete has someone to play with! And the hungry monster couldn't be more thrilled to be there, either. Now he can...EAT PETE! But Pete has other ideas. And they are all good fun and quite distracting--things like playing cars and pirates. Well, we all know the course of playing together nicely never did run smoothly. So how much longer will the monster have to wait before he can...EAT PETE?  --Publisher Read in Preschool Time Did You Eat the Parakeet? By Mark Iacolina Farrar Straus Giroux, 2018.  Picture Book. A little girl can't find her parakeet―her kitty must have eaten it! Right? Where else would it have gone? It was just here! She shouts, she accuses, and she laments her loss. But her cat might be trying to tell her something... With rhyming text and adorable art, Did Yo...

Mindful Day By Deborah Hopkinson Illustrated by Shirley Ng-Benitez Sounds True, 2020. Picture Book. To make any day a good day, it is a wonderful idea to practice mindfulness. A young girl goes about her day from the moment she wakes up, until the moment she goes to bed, practicing mindfulness. She observes the world around her and focused on the tiny details while breathing: in out, soft slow. Her and her brother have typical everyday experiences such as eating breakfast, savoring the bright berries on top of cereal, that taste sweet as summer, getting ready for their day, going to the market, and even to the library, all while enjoying being in each moment. Even when things go wrong during their day, they still find a way to be at peace by practicing mindfulness. This simple, beautiful, story told of two children taking in each moment, is a great example to younger readers on how to begin practicing mindfulness. The usage of descriptive words throughout the book ...

Papercraft By Toby Reynolds This series of impressively creative projects is sure to stoke the imaginations of every child who loves working with his or her hands. Readers will learn how to use layers, repurpose materials, and combine contrasting textures. Handmade Crafts by Children for Children By Guadalupe Rodriguez Imaginative projects for children, by children, made from everyday materials. Created in association with craft expert Guadalupe Rodríguez, this book includes imaginative projects by children, for children. The projects have clear, visual instructions and use household junk and recycled materials like cardboard boxes, pegs, wool, and scraps of fabric, as well as materials found in nature. The Little Hands Big Fun Craft Book By Judy Press Press celebrates the magic and excitement of children's daily lives with over 80 craft experiences, including a paper friendship quilt, a hand print family tree, and pie tin wind chimes. Whimsical introductory poems en...

Overview: A New Way of Seeing Earth By Benjamin Grant with Sandra Markle Crown Books for Young Readers, 2019. Informational.  Overview  is a jaw-dropping nonfiction book featuring aerial photographs of our intensely varied planet. Places I have never even heard of before are captured from above, showing spectacular colors, textures, patterns and shapes at a scope and scale that is amazing to comprehend. This book contains a fascinating blend of what is man made and what is naturally occurring, emphasizing in many different ways the relationship between Earth and the humans who live here. Back matter describes how these satellite images were taken and front matter describes why: Overview is a chance to look at the Earth differently. From algae blooms to mining sites, rain forests to roadways, this book provides a dual perspective of what our planet provides us and how we impact our planet, encouraging awe and appreciation and stewardship. 

Dog Loves Drawing By Louise Yates Dog loves drawing so much that he draws his very own adventure A Squiggly Story By Andrew Larsen A young boy wants to write a story, just like his big sister. But there's a problem, he tells her. Though he knows his letters, he doesn't know many words. His sister patiently explains, "Every story starts with a single word and every word starts with a single letter. Why don't you start there, with a letter?" So the boy tries. He writes a letter. An easy letter. The letter I. And from that one skinny letter, the story grows, and the little boy discovers that all of us, including him, have what we need to write our own perfect story. The Pencil  By Susan Avingaq Susan and Rebecca enjoy watching their mother write letters with her special pencil that she keeps safe in a box. One afternoon their mother leaves to help a neighbor, and Ataata gets out the special pencil. The pencil gets shorter and shorter as Susan draws, le...

Torpedoed: The True Story of the World War II Sinking of "The Children's Ship" By Deborah Heiligman New York: Godwin Books, 2019. Informational. In the midst of World War II, the British government elected to evacuate children out of major cities where they would be safe from German bombs. In 1940, a select group of children and adults boarded the SS City of Benares ocean liner to sail to Canada and safety. Then, just before midnight, a German torpedo hit the passenger ship resulting in one of the worst sea tragedies involving children in all of World War II. Of the 90 children on board the SS City of Benares, only 13 survived - their remarkable stories of heroism are carefully depicted in this book. Deborah Heiligman is an exhaustive researcher, and her latest offering matches the success of her Printz Honor winning books. Told in real-time with shifting perspectives, this book builds tension and momentum towards the titular disaster. For those who survive the i...

Hawks Kettle, Puffins Wheel and Other Poems of Birds in Flight Written by Susan Vande Griek Illustrated by Mark Hoffman Kids Can Press, 2019. Informational Picture Book. Birds come in all different shapes and sizes, and they move in different ways as well. Vande Griek writes a poem for each of these different types of birds, using her words to mimic the motion of every species. Along with the poetic text, there is a straightforward paragraph giving some details about the movement described in the poems. Through these two pieces, readers can get a more lyrical understanding of the flight of each bird, as well as a more detailed description. The poems are enjoyable to read, and they do their best to mimic the movements made by the birds themselves, making them descriptive in both words and form. Hoffman's soft illustrations pair beautifully with the idea of birds flying. His illustrations swoop and swerve, and show motion without extra noise on the page. Hoffman does an ex...

Epoca: The Tree of Ecrof  Created by Kobe Bryant Written by Ivy Claire Two Rivers Distribution, 2019. 353 p. The Kingdom of Epoca is ruled by Dreamers and Realists. Which class rules is based upon which side wins a series of games similar to the Olympics every few years. Princess Pretia Praxis-Onera is both. Her father is a dreamer and her mother is a realist. As of this story, no matter who wins the games her parents will rule together (though the mixed-race marriage caused a huge scandal in Epoca). The athletes that compete to have their clan rule are graced with grana, their divinely given talents that supposedly come from the gods and help them to excel in all things sports. Pretia isn’t sure that she likes her grana—the first time she used it there was an accident so she believes it is cursed. Pretia’s story intertwines with the story of Ravi. Ravi is the son of an exiled Visualization trainer at the elite school Ecrof Academy (the place where all those with grana tra...

Read in Monday Book Babies Whose Ears? By Sue Tarsky Albert Whitman & Company, 2019.  Picture Book. Babies can spot the differences between animals and people in this pure fun book with a built-in guessing game and underlying educational aspect. Straightforward words and appealing, large illustrations bring smiles and chortles, a perfect opportunity for parents to cuddle up with little ones.  --Publisher Read in Monday Cuentos El misterioso caso del oso Escrito por Oliver Jeffers Traduccion por Carlos Tejada Fondo de Cultura Económica, 2009.  Spanish Picture Book. Una escalofriante historia de misterio, crimen, sospechosos, aviones de papel, un bosque y un oso que quería ganar a toda costa.  --Publisher Read in Toddler Time Overboard! Written by Sarah Weeks Illustrated by Sam Williams Harcourt, Inc., 2006.  Picture Book. Look out below!  Here's one little bunny who likes to fling thing...

Caveboy Crush By Beth Ferry Illustrated by Joseph Kuefler Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2019. Picture Book. Neander spends his days doing the things all little caveboys like to do: chasing butterflies, drawing on the walls and playing with his pet rock. His life is just how he wants it until he meets Neanne. All of the sudden Neanne is all he can think about. He loves everything about her - especially how hairy she is. Somehow he has got to get her attention, but she seems to be unimpressed by every tactic he tries. It's going to take something really big to win the heart of his beloved cavegirl. This fun, literal interpretation of a boy's first crush will have children in peels of laughter. This book would be a perfect read aloud for kids, especially near Valentine's day, with it's darling illustrations and charming dialogue.

Cub By Cynthia L. Copeland Chapel Hill: Algonquin, 2020. Graphic novel. Cindy Copeland knows one thing for sure - seventh grade is a jungle. Filled with mean-girl predators, and dorky prey, Cindy's goal is to play dead and stay invisible long enough to survive. One place she isn't invisible, though, is in her English class where her teacher soon arranges a "cub reporter" position at the local newspaper. Cindy's new mentor is a young and hip reporter who teaches Cindy how to be a reporter and gives her the self-confidence to navigate the world of her junior high - especially after her best friend starts to hang out with the predators. This graphic novel memoir is sure to be a hit with fans of ROLLER GIRL, SMILE, or REAL FRIENDS. Set in the 1970s, some pop culture references may miss young readers (was John Denver ever really a dreamboat?) but many events mentioned have clear current ties (Watergate, Earth Day, ERA) and Copeland does a good job naturally in...

Dear Sweet Pea By: Julie Murphy HarperCollins Publishers, 2019. Fiction Patricia or Sweet Pea as her friends liked to call her, doesn't like change. She wants things in her life to stay the same but they just keep changing and she doesn't know how to stop it. First her parents tell her they are getting divorced and then her BFF decides to dump her for the mean, popular girls.  The only thing that has made life bearable is her new best friend Oscar and her cat, Cheese. However, when she begins to keep secrets from Oscar things seem to get complicated very quickly. Sweet Pea is an adorable character who is lovable and easy to relate to.  This middle grade novel  is a sweet story about accepting change and rolling with the punches of life. If you have ever been that teen who is caught in the awkward adolescence of life you can relate to Sweet Pea and her struggles.  This book is a perfect read for older middle grade children who have their own struggles...

The Poison Eaters: Fighting Danger and Fraud in Our Food and Drugs By Gail Jarrow Calkins Cree, an imprint of Boyds Mills & Kane, 2019. 157 p. Once upon a time people put things like formaldehyde and borax in foods that were sold—and most people that ate the food had no idea that those dangerous chemicals were even in there. Poison Eaters tells the story of how the FDA came about to force people to label what is in the food that was being purchased. In order to accomplish this people like Dr. Harvey Washington Wiley had to do experiments—his most famous one involved feeding poisonous foods to willing test subjects—to show the world that they should want to know what is in their food (and later drugs and cosmetics). At times gory and gruesome, at times down right gross Jarrow explains all the ins and outs of what happened to make regulations to keep food, drugs, and cosmetics safe.

Read in Monday Book Babies Row, Row, Row Your Boat By Jane Cabrera Holiday House, 2014.  Picture Book. Row, row, row your boat slowly down the creek.  If you see the swimming mice, don't forget to squeak.  EEEEK!   In this vibrantly-painted rain forest, squeak, bark, and chatter along with a kitten and puppy rowing their way down the stream. Uncover one delightful animal surprise after another.  Jane Cabrera has created her own rendition of this jaunty song featuring a kitten and puppy making their way down a river in their own rain forest fantasy.  Sheet music with guitar chords, along with Cabrera's jaunty new verses, is included.  --Publisher Read in Monday Cuentos El puchero pirata Escrito por Lou Carter Ilustrado por Nikki Dyson Traducción David Aliaga Picarona, 2019.  Spanish Picture Book. Saturnino es un langostino obsesionado con la limpieza. Se pasa el dia barriendo y fregando, ordenando las conc...

Goodnight, Rainbow Cats By Bàrbara Castro  Urío Chronicle Books, 2019. Small Picture Book. Twelve cats go to the big white house and find their own corner to sleep in. Cutouts in this board book are used to identify where each colored cat ends up in the house. Those interested in exploring colors and tactile learning will enjoy this book. It may even inspire the reader to take a nap of their own.

Where's Baby? Written and Illustrated by Anne Hunter Tundra Books, 2020. Picture Book. Where's Baby? is a hide-and-seek picture book with a simple premise and clever execution. Papa Fox is looking for Baby. But Baby is always just out of sight! On pages reminiscent of  Are You My Mother?  Papa mistakes different forest creatures for his child, with humorous effect. The story ends with Papa finding Baby and a prompt for the readers when Baby says, "Can we do that again?" I always like when I come across a picture book that meets very young children on their level. Where's Baby? is perfect for looking, pointing, and repeating words together. The sweet illustrations are rendered in scratchy ballpoint pen and soft colored pencil, making it feel sparse, wintry, and darling all at once.

Little Doctor and the Fearless Beast Written and Illustrated by Sophie Gilmore Toronto, ON: Owlkids Books, 2019. Picture book. Little Doctor lives all alone in the deep, dark forest treating crocodiles of their various ailments. The fearsome creatures come from all over to receive reptilian treatment in exchange for stories of adventure. One day, Little Doctor is visited by Big Mean, the biggest, meanest crocodile of all; a particularly grumpy patient who won't open up to Little Doctor -- literally. This picture book is one of many with in the last year that packs a surprise punch ending - the climax of this book is sure to keep readers guessing. Not only is this an exciting read, but it is filled with gorgeous illustrations. Seeing Big Mean twist and curl and contort to fit into the pages of this book is instantly enticing and repeating ovular shapes and cool greyish-green tones makes for a beautiful and lush read. Sophie Gilmore's debut picture book should keep her n...

The Serious Goose Written and illustrated by Jimmy Kimmel Random House, 2019. Picture book. In the same vein as the pigeon books, Kimmel brings us a jaunty story about a goose that absolutely will not smile. Seriously. No matter what you do, this goose is way too serious to smile. After many failed attempts and examples by the narrator, readers are tasked with making the goose smile themselves, and are given a set of silly ideas that the narrator is absolutely certain won't work. Kimmel makes the most of his illustrating abilities, aiming not for artistic perfection, but instead for simple yet effective drawings that pair well with the bold text. If you're looking for a great book to read aloud to a group of children, pick this up and let them do their very best to make this very serious goose smile.

Saturday  By Oge Mora Little, Brown and Company, 2019. Picture Book Ava is a young girl that looks forward to Saturday all week long. Saturday is the one day that her mother doesn’t have to work—therefore Saturday is the one day when they can spend time together doing whatever they want. On this particular Saturday Ava and her mother have quite a few “special” and “splendid” plans. Unfortunately story time at the library is cancelled. A car splashes them as it drives by (just after they get their hair done at a salon). Their peaceful park was extra noisy. And when they get to the theater they realize that they left their tickets for the performance at home. This is a good book for kids who look forward to happy plans only to have things not turn out quite as happy as they had hoped. Also, those young readers who get limited “fun” time with their grownups will enjoy reading about a girl and her mom and how they make the most of the time they do have together. Quite beautifu...

Did you know that we have two parent/child book clubs every month at the Provo City Library? They are for children ages 9-12 and a caregiver. This month, they will meet January 28 (girls) and January 23 (guys). Preregister under the Kids Corner/Program Registration tab on the library website. We have two great books to discuss this month: Girls The Girl Who Drank the Moon By Kelly Barnhill Chapel Hill, NC: Algonquin Young Readers, 2016. Fiction. Every year, the people of the Protectorate leave a baby as an offering to the witch who lives in the forest. They don't seem to know that the witch in the forest, named Xan, is a kind and generous witch who is confused why the people don't want their babies. Each year, she saves the babies - feeding them starlight and finding them happy homes across the forest. One year, she accidentally feeds the rescued baby moonlight instead of starlight and gives the baby magical abilities. This baby, Luna, lives with Xan, Fyrian (a...

The Giver: The Graphic Novel By Lois Lowry Adapted and Illustrated By P. Craig Russell New York, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2019. Graphic Novel. Life has always been simple for Jonas growing up. All of his decisions have been made for him. The world around is black and white and devoid of emotion. All of that changes when Jonas reaches his ceremony of twelve. As all of his other friends are assigned to the usual jobs of caretakers, nurturers, and leader of recreation, Jonas receives the honored position of Receiver of Memories. As Jonas begins his training with the Giver, he begins to see what the world used to be like before it was so controlled by their leaders. He sees both the good and the bad and begins to experience emotion. Once he discovers what has been missing, he comes up with a plan to return the community to the way it was before. This classic Newbery Award-Winning book has now been adapted into a graphic novel. With beautiful illustrations that bring th...

Look Both Ways: A Tale Told in Ten Blocks By Jason Reynolds Illustrated by Alexander Nabaum New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2019. Fiction. You never know what might happen on the walk home from school. Readers explore what happens after the last bell of the day rings in a series of ten short stories that each follow a different character on a different city street. The stories expertly weave together to capture a realistic glimpse into the life of a middle school student. For older readers, there are flashes of brilliant nostalgia, for younger readers, the concerns, fears, and hopes of the students of Latimer Middle School will feel familiar. Readers will be mistaken, though, in thinking there is anything predictable about this book - each short story reminds us that people are more than just what's on the surface. This book is filled with humor, bittersweet reality, and an emotional richness that feels sincere but never saccharine. This book is among the mos...