Provo Library Children's Book Blog

The Spacesuit: How a Seamstress Helped Put Man on the Moon Written by Alison Donald Illustrated by Ariel Landy Maverick Arts Publishing, 2019. Picture book. When thinking about space exploration it's easy to overlook the details. We know all about the first man on the moon, and the space race, and all the amazing discoveries that have been made about the universe. But what about the people who designed the spacesuit? The suits needed to be airtight, and able to withstand high temperatures and low. They also needed to be wearable in the spacecraft and out, and above all, safe. Ellie Foraker, a seamstress, is part of a team that is competing to build a successful spacesuit. The team includes engineers and seamstresses who work together to create something safe and comfortable for the astronauts, and their story proves that our heroes aren't always the people in the spotlight, but the people behind the scenes too. Alison Donald and Ariel Landy tell an energetic and inspiri...

The Day of Your Arrival By Dolores Brown Madrid : NubeOcho, 2019. Picture Book. Two parents wait anxiously and prepare for the arrival of their adopted child. They have dreamed of having a child for a long time and they can't wait. They get the bedroom ready, buy all sorts of toys, and ponder on what their child's favorite treat will be. Once the child arrives, they feel like they are finally a complete family. This book is written as if the parents are telling their adopted daughter the wonderful story of how they hoped, planned, and waited for her. A beautiful story about adoption, the wait, the preparation, and the process of adapting to change. With calming illustrations, and a strong feeling of family, this book is a simple & sweet look into adoption.

Read in Monday Book Babies You’re My Boo Written by Kate Dopirak Illustrated by Lesley Breen Withrow Beach Lane Books, 2016.  Picture Book. Introducing an adorable fox family, where the older brother is sweet…and a bit of a stinker. But whether he gets along (or doesn’t) with his baby sibling, whether he is helpful (or not) to his family, or whether he behaves (or doesn’t) when it’s time to settle down, his Mama is always right there to reassure him that, “No matter what you do, you will always be my boo. In a sweet rhyming ode to unconditional love, debut author Kate Dopirak celebrates the silly ups and downs of life with a little one.  --Publisher Read in Tuesday Toddler Time Yeti and the Bird By Nadia Shireen Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2015.  Picture Book. Even hairy, scary monsters need friends! This heartwarming tale of unlikely playmates features bright artwork and a sweet message from the author-illustrator of Hey, ...

Happy Right Now By Julie Berry A book that teaches that the best way to find happiness is to embrace each and every moment. We love to feel happy, but feeling sad is also a part of life. With a great message that teaches children how to deal with all kinds of emotions. Happy! By Pharrell Williams Based on the popular song "Happy" by Pharrell Williams, this book explores happiness using a mixture of illustrations and pictures of children celebrating life and what makes them happy! Simon and the Big Bad, Bad, Angry Beasts: A Book About Anger By Ian De Haes Whenever Simon gets angry, wild beasts appear to help scare off those who upset him, but he becomes lonely, calms himself, and conjures a new kind of animal friend. Mr. Sherman's Cloud By David Habben When Mr. Sherman's bad mood takes the form of a rain cloud that soaks him, an unexpected encounter with imaginative children brightens his day, turning his outlook from pessimism into optimism. Blu...

Nessie Quest By Melissa Savage New York: Crown Books for Young Readers, 2020. Fiction. Ru, or Ada Ru, or Adelaide Ru Fitzhugh if you want to use the long version, is pretty sure that she's finally convinced her parents to take a family vacation to Disney World. Imagine her displeasure when her parents decide to spend the entire summer in Scotland instead. Instead of wandering around EPCOT and the Magic Kingdom, Ada Ru has to wander the banks of Loch Ness eating Scottish delicacies like haggis and black pudding -- yuck! Luckily, she quickly befriends Dax, a cute Brooklynite with a passion for 1970s folk rock, and Hamish "Hammy" Bean, a local Nessie enthusiast who lures Dax and Ada Ru into a hunt for Loch Ness' most elusive resident. As the kids become invested in the famous Nessie Race - the hunt for proof of the sea monster's existence - Ada Ru finds a lot to love about Scotland after all. As she did with Lemons (2017), Melissa Savage has written a humoro...

Nesting Written and Illustrated by Henry Cole Harper Collins Publishers, 2020. Picture Book. If you are a lover of birds you will enjoy this beautiful picture book, with black and white illustrations and accents of robin egg blue, depicting the life of an American robin. Follow the life cycle of a mother robin as she builds her nest with twigs and grass then lays 4 little eggs. The baby robins hatch and encounter many dangers from the weather to predators as they grow and get ready to leave the nest.  This is the perfect book to introduce biology and animal science to young readers. Anyone who is a bird watcher will enjoy the realistic drawings depicting these graceful birds as well as the wonderful introduction to the stages of a robins development.

Read in Tuesday Book Babies Grow a Reader:  An Interplanetary Tale Written by Bridget Heos Illutsrated by Dan Regan Mid-Continent Public Library, 2015.  Picture Book. An alien goes to the Mid-Continent Public Library's space branch and learns how to plant the seeds of reading through words.  --Publisher Read in Wednesday Preschool Time A Fox Found a Box By Ged Adamson Schwartz & Wade Books, 2019.  Picture Book. A little fox is digging for food when--OUCH! What is that?--the fox finds a box! When the fox brings the box home to his animal friends--and turns a funny-looking knob--the box starts to sing, and music fills the forest. Everyone agrees that it feels nice. Day and night, they listen to the box's songs, until, one day, it goes quiet. No matter what they try, they just can't get the box to sing again. The animals stop swishing their tails and flapping their wings.... But, in the silence, the fox hears the drip-drop ...

Balletball By Erin Dionne Illustrated by Gillian Flint Charlesbridge, 2020. Picture Book Nini loves ballet. She loves twirling, leaping and most importantly, her sparkly pink tutu. When ballet ends, Nini finds out that her mom has signed her up for baseball and she is less than thrilled. Nini does not like baseball. Each day at practice Nini drags her feet and refuses to follow the rules. One fateful day however, Nini realizes that maybe baseball isn't so different from ballet, and perhaps she can use her dance skills to help her team win the big game. This story is a must read for any fans of sports and dance. Clever characters and darling illustrations make the pages come to life and draw readers into a story that can be read again and again.

Magic Ramen: The Story of Momofuku Ando Written by Andrea Wang Illustrated by Kana Urbanowicz New York, NY: Little Bee Books, 2019. Biography Picture Book I'll bet the last time you slurped up instant ramen noodles, you didn't think about where that perfectly tasty and warm cup of soup came from. The story is much more heart-warming than you'd expect.  Momofuku Ando lived in Osaka, Japan just after World War II had ended. He saw the devastation that lingered years after the terrible war. It left people hungry and poor. Ando wanted to help those in need. The thought motivated him to come up with a simple solution to feed people and he worked for twelve years to perfect his recipe for ramen noodle soup that would only take a couple of minutes to cook and required no more than hot water.  This beautiful, Japanese-styled picture book takes us through the journey of one man who wanted to help the war-devastated people of his country. Now, decades later, hi...

When You Trap a Tiger By Tae Keller New York: Random House, 2020. Fiction. Lily loves her halmoni's stories from Korean folklore - stories about tigers and sky gods and sisters who beat the odds. Lily is happy that she, her mom, and her sister Sam will be moving to the tiny town of Sunrise, WA to spend more time with her grandmother, but Lily soon learns that their move has more to do with Halmoni's health than she originally knew. Things seem to go from bad to worse when a magical tiger, notorious tricksters in Korean mythology, appears to Lily and offers her a deal -- recover the stories that Halmoni stole years ago in exchange for Halmoni's health. This story expertly weaves Korean folklore into a gloomy small town populated by likable and realistically drawn characters. Lily's fears about living up to a "quiet Asian girl" stereotype and becoming invisible will feel all too familiar for many readers, along with her desperation to heal her grandmoth...

Very Lulu: The (Mostly) True Story of a Training School Dropout Written by Stephanie Campisi Illustrated by Jessica Gibson Sourcebooks, 2019. Picture book. Lulu is so energetic and excitable that she's been enlisted to be a police dog! But, her training doesn't go quite as planned. She's just very... Lulu. While the other dogs are quick to learn their commands and how to be a successful police dog, Lulu is easily distracted and is struggling to enjoy herself. She'd much rather be running off, investigating new scents and having fun, than being trained to sniff out evidence. Luckily for Lulu, there's a right place for every dog.  Lulu's story is a cute one, and although she technically fails at being a police dog, she wins at being a good girl. Campisi brings her fun-loving personality to life in this sweet story, and Gibson's drawings showcase Lulu's excitement and zest for life. 

Read in Monday Book Babies Pete's a Pizza By William Steig HarperCollins Publishers, 1998.  Picture Book. Pete is upset when the rain keeps him from playing with his friends, but when his father offers to turn him into a pizza, Pete's day becomes much more exciting. Pete's father starts kneading the dough (that's Pete). Next, some oil is generously applied. (It's really water.) And then some tomatoes. (They're really checkers.) When the dough gets tickled, it laughs like crazy.  --Publisher Read in Monday Cuentos ¿ Qué pasa ahí arriba ? Escrito por Elisabeth Stiemert Ilustrado por Karoline Kehr Traducido por Gabriela Keselman Kókinos, 1999.  Spanish Picture Book. Cuando la familia Dearriba se traslada a su neuva casa empiezan los problemas con la vecina.  La señora Deabajo se queja sin cesar cada vez que los niños Dearriba hacen ruido.  De repente, un buen día, la señora Deabajo ya no oye ni el más mínimo sonido.  “¿Qué está p...

Brush Your Teeth! By Katie Marsico This read promotes the healthy habit of caring for your teeth. Readers will be engaged by pictures and text. The Tooth Book By Edward Miller This book explores the importance of caring for your teeth and gums and visiting the dentist. As a bonus, this book also includes tooth history and lore. The colorful pictures will keep young readers interested. Dentists By Quinn Arnold A description of dentists and what they do. Written for the understanding of kindergartners. Visit the Dentist! By Katie Marsico Explains what happens at a dental exam. Whose Gadgets are These? By Amanda Doering Each page gives a clue about a community helper occupation. Can you guess whose tools these are? Floss Your Teeth! By Katie Marsico This book promotes the healthy habit of flossing teeth. Why We Go to the Dentist By Rosalyn Clark Explains why going to the dentist is important for our teeth. ABC Dentist By Harriet Ziefert Goes through...

Dragons in a Bag By Zetta Elliott New York: Random House Children's Books, 2018. Fiction. 154 p. Jax doesn't want to stay with Ma, a crotchety old woman, but he needs a babysitter and Ma is the only option. As Jax spends time with Ma, he realizes that not everything is what it seems. Ma is a witch. A witch on a mission to deliver dragons to a magical realm. Can Jax help Ma? And maybe become her apprentice? DRAGONS IN A BAG is a great read for those interested in starting a new fantasy series. The compelling characters and magical elements give this book a whimsical yet grounded tone. The never ending plot twists will entice readers to keep turning the page. As an added bonus, this read is a great audiobook for road trips.

Don't worry, bee happy Written and Illustrated by: Ross Burach New York: Acorn/Scholastic inc., 2020. Early Reader. Bumble and Bee are best friends and they love to buzz around the pond and play pranks on their friend Frog. In the story Don't worry, bee happy these three friends take pictures, get rid of  Hiccups and waggle dance. You can count on mischief and hilarious fun from this trio of friends. In comic strip form with bright colorful illustrations these stories will keep young readers engaged from beginning to end. I love this new early reader series from Scholastic, its aimed at helping beginning readers with easy to read text and short stories. These books help improve reading confidence and fluency for those children who are just beginning to read.  

Read in Monday Book Babies Ten Tiny Tickles By Karen Katz Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2005.  Picture Book. From one tiny tickle on a lovely little head to ten twirling tickles on tender tubby toes, this book counts up the number of tickles each member of the family gives from one to ten! This charming book with a counting concept is perfect for sharing with even the youngest readers!  --Publisher Read in Monday Cuentos Manual de casas encantadas Por Mónica Carretero Cuento de Luz, 2012.  Spanish Picture Book. ¿Te atreverías a vivir en una casa encantada? Aburridos de la gran ciudad, la señora Muac y su hijo se disponen a buscar un nuevo hogar a través de una extraña y misteriosa agencia inmobiliaria ... ¡menuda aventura les espera! Escaleras que no paran quietas, pasadizos secretos, timbres vociferantes y un montón de divertidos fantasmas son solo algunas de las muchas rarezas que aguardan, escondiadas, entre las páginas de este fascina...

The Magpie's Library By Kate Blair Toronto, Ontario: DCB, an imprint of Cormorant Books Inc., 2019. Fiction. 234 p. Silva's world turns upside down when she learns about her grandfather's failing health. In the midst of the stress and loneliness, she needs some way to escape. That is when she sees a magpie that leads her through a door to a magic library. As Silva begins to read the books, she is transported into the stories, living the lives of the characters. As she keeps coming back to the library, she begins to realize that these aren't just made-up stories, these books are about real people. Silva begins to realize that the magpie has other reasons that he has lured her into his library. From beginning to end, this book is full of detail and symbolism. A story of dealing with loneliness and how to turn to others when you need help. This book deals with real issues but in an imaginative, magical way. There is an eerie feeling that settles in as you ge...

Breaking Through: How Female Athletes Shattered Stereotypes in the Roaring Twenties By Sue Macy National Geographic, 2020. Informational, p. 96. When thinking about the 1920s it's fairly easy to recall the sensational details of the time period. Flappers and the Charleston, jazz music and all the great literature that came out of that decade. But many social movements also occurred in the twenties. Women were making huge strides for equality, in more ways than one. Sue Macy's book about female athletes during the 1920s details the fight for rights and opportunity in sports, including obstacles that had to be overcome, and lesser known figures of the movement. Macy made a point to include women of different racial and ethnic backgrounds where records existed, and does not sugarcoat the realities of the time. Above all, this book is a lovingly researched survey of the triumphs that have led us to where we are today.

Willow Moss & the Lost Day By Dominique Valente Harper, an imprint of HarperCollins, 2020. Starfell book #1. 215 p. Willow Moss comes from a magic family—only her magic isn’t as strong or important as her granny’s, her mother’s, or her sister’s magic. One day when Moreg Vaine—the most powerful and feared witch in all of Starfell—comes seeking help to find a missing day, she asks for Willow. This is a story of love, believing in yourself, making friends, doing the right thing, and magic all rolled into one. Readers will enjoy journeying with Willow as she tries to piece together what happened and what she can do about it as she realizes that she and her magic are enough to help save the day. This book is a great beginning to what hopefully will be many more adventures in the Starfell world and Willow Moss!