Provo Library Children's Book Blog

It's hard to believe it's been two decades since that fateful day when America was attacked and the twin towers fell. September 11th was a tragic day that affected all of us even from thousands of miles away. This year to commemorate this event I wanted to share a few books that I felt represented the resilience of the American people.  This Very Tree: A Story of 9/11, resilience, and regrowth By: Sean Rubin Henry Holt and Company, 2021. Informational. This is a moving story told from the point-of-view of the Callery pear tree that survived the attacks on September 11th. The tree's home was destroyed and the tree itself was buried under mounds of debris and rubble after the towers fell but amazingly it didn't die. It was moved to a nursery in the Bronx and was named the "Survivor Tree." Almost a decade later the survivor tree was taken back home and planted in the 9/11 Memorial site where is now provides beauty, comfort and hope. This is a story of recovery no...

  The Last Windwitch  By Jennifer Adam  Harper, an imprint of HarperCollins, 2021. 436 p.  Brida is a 12-year-old apprentice hedgewitch in a place where magic is mostly outlawed (the Queen of Crows has black magic but she has outlawed all white magic and green magic is only allowed to continue as long as she doesn’t know about it). The trouble is that Brida’s magic tends to not want to follow all of the green hedgewitch magic rules. When Brida sees the legendary herd of stormhorses and accidentally captures the Queen of Crow’s attention, Brida must pull every ounce of magic out of her to save her family, her friends, and herself from the evil queen. This is a fantasy tale that will capture the attention of young readers who like strong girls, horses, and a hint of mystery.

 Birds and Their Feathers By: Britta Teckentrap Munich, 2018. Informational. "The feather -- at once fragile and strong, versatile and beautiful --is one of nature's most ingenious constructions. With charming illustrations by Britta Teckentrup and a wealth of fascinating facts, this book tells the story of birds and their feathers for young readers. From iridescent feathers to feathers that sing; from the stately plumage of peacocks to the plumes of tiny hummingbirds; from the feathers of ancient myth to those that inspired human flight; there are delightful feathery stories here for all." How to Find a Bird Written by: Jennifer Ward Illustrated by: Diana Sudyka Beach Lane Books, 2020. Informational. Young bird lovers will adore this lushly illustrated introduction to how to spot and observe our feathered friends. It features more than fifty different species, from the giant whooping crane to the tiny ruby-throated hummingbird, and so many in between, and a detailed auth...

Help Wanted: Must Love Books By Janet Sumner Johnson Illustrated by Courtney Dawson North Mankato, MN : Capstone Editions, a Capstone imprint, 2020. Picture Book. This is such a charming book! I loved the delightful pictures along with the equally wonderful story about a little girl who needs to find a new bedtime storyteller. When Shailey's dad gets a new job and is too busy to read her bedtime stories, Shailey loses her patience and fires him from his position as bedtime reader. But looking for a NEW storyteller is going to be harder than she thought, even with fairy tale characters like Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, and Golidlocks applying for the job! Help Wanted: Must Love Books  is such a creative picture book that all kids will love, especially children ages 4-7. It includes play-on-words that will give you clues to who each character is in the story. Some background in fairy tales will help, as kids will love the story even more if they can figure out who all the fairy tale ...

  Arlo Draws an Octopus   Written by Lori Mortensen Illustrated by Rob Sayegh Jr. Harry N. Abrams, 2021. Picture Book. Arlo likes octopuses.  He likes their big heads and squiggly arms and suctions cups.  He decides to draw a picture of an octopus.  Unfortunately, nothing about this drawing is going according to Arlo's plans. His frustration makes him ask-- is he just not an octopus drawer?  An unexpected friend brings clarity for Arlo and a funny surprise for readers. This book is so adorable!  The illustrations are charming and relatable to all of us who, try as we might, can't get our drawings to match the picture that is in our heads. This is a great book for anyone looking for a fun read aloud, but it can also be used as a teaching tool.  Through Arlo's frustrations and realizations, readers will be reminded that they don't need to be perfect to do something.  Highly recommended!

Today is Women's Equality Day in the United States. We celebrate this day to remember when the Nineteenth Amendment was added to the Constitution in 1920 to make it possible for American women to vote! This was an important step towards equality and many women fought long and hard for this change. Below is a list of books about some of those incredible women and what they went through. Finish the Fight By Veronica Chambers  Boston: Versify/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2020. Informational. Read the untold stories of many of the women from more diverse backgrounds including those from Black, Asian, Latinx, Native American and more who found for the right for women to vote.  History Smashers: Women's Right to Vote By Kate Messner New York : Random House Children's Books, 2020. Informational. This book works to debunk the myths that surround the history of women's right in the United States. Using illustrations, graphic panels, photographs, and more, Kate Messner works to tel...

One of my favorite things about our library are the exhibit spaces we have in The Attic and in the Anderson Art Gallery. Both spaces provide a great opportunity to visit a gallery for free and we are lucky to showcase some really incredible exhibits. Some of my favorite exhibits are when we bring in artwork done by children's book illustrators -- it is so cool to see all of the work that goes into putting a picture book together. Starting September 7, our next exhibit will be SOÑADORA: THE ART OF YUYI MORALES featuring art from three-time Pura Belpré Award winning illustrator Yuyi Morales. If you know Yuyi's art then you are probably already as excited for this exhibit as I am. If you are less familiar with Yuyi's art, then you are certainly in for a treat. Here is a list of some of Yuyi Morales' most popular books so that you know what to look forward to! Dreamers By Yuyi Morales New York: Neal Porter Books, 2018. Biography. This is an autobiographical picture book abo...

  When the World Was Ours Written by: Liz Kessler Aladdin. 2021. Fiction Three young friends, Leo, Elsa, and Max, spend a perfect day together in 1936 while the world around them begins to change as the beginnings of World War II start to creep into Europe. As the years go by the three friends drift apart and their lives take them all in different directions. They all remember their friends with fondness but as they grow older the experiences they each have because of the war makes them realize that the world is no longer theirs and friendship doesn't last forever. This is a beautiful but heart wrenching story that was based on an experience the author's family had during the Holocaust. As you follow the characters through this difficult time period you feel the pain of their struggles as they loose their childlike innocence and experience the horrors of war. This is a story about love and friendship, hate and war and the effects war has even on small children. This is a story ...

  Did you know that yesterday was National Tooth Fairy Day? Well, in honor of that fairy who likes to trade money for teeth I thought I would share some of the fun tooth fairy books that we have in the Children’s Department.  Baby Shark: The Tooth Fairy by Pinkfong  Baby Shark loses a tooth and gets a magical visit from the tooth fairy!  I Love My Fangs by Kelly Leigh Miller  Young Dracula is distraught when he loses a fang and the tooth fairy tries to take it away!  Pete the Cat and the Lost Tooth by James Dean  While Pete the Cat is helping the Tooth Fairy a tooth goes missing!  Tallulah the Tooth Fairy CEO by Dr. Tamara Pizzoli  Tallulah the Tooth Fairy is confused when Ballard Burchell leaves a note instead of a tooth under his pillow!  Tooth Fairy in Training by Michelle Robinson  Tate is starting her Tooth Fairy Training…and she must collect teeth from animals (since not just humans lose teeth)!

  The Old West By: Sean O'Neill Red Chair Press, 2020. Informational. 32 pgs. "Fools gold and buckaroos in the Old West. The American West was at once an unexplored frontier--and the ancient home of thousands of American Natives. Explore the Old West with 50 fun and amazing facts about Cowboys and Indians and the horses they rode."-- Provided by publisher. Little Lost Cowboy By: Simon Puttock Egmont USA, 2011. Picture Book  A kindly toad helps a "lonesome and lost" young coyote find his mother. Cowboy Boyd and Mighty Calliope By: Lisa Moser Random House, 2013. Picture Book  A cowboy and his trusty rhinocerous try to prove themselves at the Double R Ranch, where the Slim, Hardtack, and Rancher Rose doubt Calliope's potential, but Boyd believes in her. Rodeo Red By: Maripat Perkins Peachtree Publishers, 2015. Picture Book.  Rodeo Red and her hound dog, Rusty, are happy as can be until Side Swiping Slim comes to town and starts stirring up trouble for them, but...

  Pizza with Everything on It Written By Kyle Scheele Illustrated by Andy J. Pizza Chronicle Books, 2021. Picture Book. In this delightful picture book, a young boy asks his dad, a pizza shop owner, to make him a pizza with everything on it. You may think of a loaded, supreme pizza, but no, he wanted EVERYTHING on the pizza. They add exciting toppings to their pizza-including the White House. They add so many toppings that the pizza collapses on itself and becomes a black hole. The black hole explodes and covers everything with pizza. The boy and his dad fly through pizza space to an earth made out of pizza. They end up at their pizza shop (also made out of pizza) and enjoy the perfect pizza together. The illustrations in this book are vibrant and amusing. Children will love perusing each page to see the interesting pizza toppings. The adventure that this father and son encounter is both fun and surprising.

What is better than a potato?  This librarian ventures very little!  Whether you like 'em mashed, fried, baked or boiled, National Potato Day is a perfect excuse to eat potatoes in all their delicious forms. So grab a plate of fries and enjoy these fun books featuring the mighty potato! Supertato By Sue Hendra ‎Simon & Schuster Children's UK, 2016. Picture Book. With an evil pea on the loose causing mischief, no vegetable is safe!  Who can the veggies turn to for safety?  Supertato!  The Couch Potato By  Jory John ‎HarperCollins, 2020. Picture Book. Couch Potato never leaves his couch.  Why would he?  It has everything he needs!  But when the power goes out, he must peel himself from his beloved couch and venture into the real world.  What will he think of the world away from screens, gadgets, and comfort? Rot, the Bravest in the World! By Ben Clanton Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2020. Picture Book. Rot the potato loves mud....

Wishes and Wellingtons By Julie Berry Naperville, IL: Sourcebooks Young Readers, 2020. Fiction. Maeve Merrit has just stumbled onto an incredibly lucky find. After getting in yet another fight at her prim and proper boarding school, she is assigned garbage duty and makes a startling discovery: a djinni residing in a discarded sardine tin. Mermeros, the remarkably poor-tempered djinni with a hilarious contempt for his new master, can great Maeve up to three wishes, but warns her about the consequences of greed. As more and more people learn of Maeve's djinni and seek to possess the power for themselves, Maeve and her friends are led on an adventure through Victorian London. Readers who enjoyed Jonathan Auxier's Sweep , or other historical fantasy novels will find a lot to enjoy in this larger-than-life adventure through the streets of London. Maeve is a winning protagonist whose quick temper and impassioned sense of fairness make for a hilarious foil to the well brought-up girls...

 Have you ever wanted to travel to a world that you read about in a book? I have imagined what it would be like to visit some of these fictional worlds and experience some of the magical moments I have read about. Some of the fantasy worlds I love are very much like the world I live in but much simpler. Some are magical and their appeal lies in the fact that it would be impossible to experience without actually being there, and let's be honest, having some magical abilities as well. What better way to escape the drudgery of life than to visit and explore a fantasy world. Here are a few of the fictional worlds I would like to travel to and a few things I would like to do while I am there. #1. Visit Hogwarts, take a few flying lessons from Madame Hooch, and watch a quidditch game. #2. Spend a Christmas at Winterhouse #3. Get snowed in at a Haunted Ski Lodge  #4. Visit Coronam and Last Farm and ride one of the forbidden horses, the stallion Florian. #5. Spend the day in Narnia, m...

  Jop and Blip Wanna Know #1: Can You Hear a Penguin Fart on Mars?: And Other Excellent Questions Jim Benton  Harper Alley, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, 2021. 87 p.  This is a brand-new series about two robots named Jop and Blip who want to find answers to questions—such as can you hear a penguin fart on Mars? The book is a series of questions and answers that kids are sure to find interesting and hilarious. Plus the graphic novel format with full-color illustrations will appeal to even the most reluctant of readers. All-around this is a funny introduction to some informational questions that kids will enjoy reading.

The World is Waiting for You   By Barbara Kerley Washington, DC: National Geographic, 2013. Informational. "What do you want to be when you grow up?" is a question kids get asked over and over. But very few connections are made for kids between the present and the future. This book shows kids a pathway from their current interests and talents to a future career or interest. And in so doing, it also encourages adventure, exploration, and discovery, three core principles of National Geographic's mission. It's a celebration of possibility--so simple and so profound. Spotlight on Australia By Xavier Niz  Mankato, Minn: Capstone Press, 2011.  Informational. An introduction to Australia including climate, landforms, plants, animals, and people. Egypt By Grace Hansen  Minneapolis, Minnesota : Abdo Kids, a division of ABDO, 2020. Nonfiction.  From Egypt's big cities to its incredible pyramids in the desert, readers have so much to discover about this amazing country! Th...

The Elephant in the Room By Holly Goldberg Sloan Dial Books for Young Readers, 2021.  Fiction. 250 pgs. Twelve-year-old Sila lives in Oregon with her parents who are immigrants from Turkey.  When her mom leaves on a short trip back to Turkey to work out some issues with her documentation, the trip extends months longer than expected.  The fear this leaves behind deeply affects Sila and her father.  But a new friendship with Mateo, an autistic boy from school, helps fill her time and eases her loneliness.  Then she and her dad have a chance encounter with a man named Gio -- a widower and reluctant lottery winner -- who also joins their unexpected new circle of friends.  Add in the rescue of a beautiful circus elephant named Veda, and you have the makings of the most magical summer Sila could imagine! I absolutely loved this beautiful story of family bonds and unlikely friendships.  I enjoyed the new take on the family's immigration story, and I particu...

Red, White, and Whole By Rajani LaRocca New York, NY : Quill Tree Books, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, 2021. Fiction. Reha is one of the only Indian American students at her school. She struggles to find where she fits, constantly balancing her Indian culture and her American culture without disappointing her parents. Her parents are very strict because they want to make sure she has as many opportunities as she can but because of this, she has a difficult time connecting to them, especially her mom. This make it even more difficult when Reha discovers that her mother is very sick with leukemia. With this discovery, she sets out to become the perfect daughter but instead learns more about her mother, herself, and how to combine both of her worlds.  This book is perfect for anyone who loves novels in verse or diverse reads. It is similar in some aspects to  Others Words for Home .  Reading about Reha and her family really helped me to come to know her Indian cultu...