Provo Library Children's Book Blog

  Return of the Underwear Dragon  By Scott Rothman  Illustrated by Pete Oswald  Random House Studio, 2021. Picture Book.  If you haven’t read Attack of the Underwear Dragon , you should probably stop and read how much I love this book first . Or just take my word for it that it is an amazing book that you should start with.  That being said, this is the sequel. And I often am disappointed by sequels—but not in this case. This is one fantastic book full of that hilarious-looking dragon that wears a giant pair of underpants. I love how Sir Cole decides to get an assistant. I love how they figure out the reason why the Underwear Dragon is attacking and causing mayhem. I love that they figure it out. All-in-all, I just love this book. Granted, I may love the book because I know a lot of dragon-loving young readers who love the book…but really, it is a great read! If you know kids who loved the first adventure of Sir Cole, or you know kids who like to see Oswald...

Can I Be Your Dog? By: Troy Cummings New York: Random House, 2018. Picture Book.  Arfy is a hound on a mission! Bound and determined to find a home, Arfy writes letters to everyone on Butternut Street. Honestly, he's the best dog you could ever want. He's obedient! He's housebroken! He even has his own squeaky bone! Who will adopt Arfy in the end? You'll never guess! With Love, Grandma XOXO By: Helen Foster James Ann Arbor, MI: Sleeping Bear Press, 2018. Picture Book.  A grandmother shares her adventures and special memories with her grandchild through a series of letters written while she is traveling the world.  Snail Mail By: Samantha Berger New York: Running Press Kids, 2018. Picture Book.  A long time ago, before email and texting, the mail was delivered in a much slower way. It was called Snail Mail! Although it took much longer, everyone agreed that letters were a little more special when they were delivered by Snail Mail. They might be handwritten. They might...

Read in Toddler Time Chicken Wants a Nap Written by Tracy Marchini  Illustrated by Monique Félix Mankato, MN : Creative Education, 2017. Picture Book. With the sun up and grass warm, a barnyard chicken is optimistic that it will be a comfortable day for a nap. However, forces keep conspiring against her--until it becomes a bad day for someone else.  --Publisher Read in Preschool Time Hello Ninja: Hello Georgie Written by N.D. Wilson Illustrated by Forrest Dickison New York, NY : Harper, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, 2020. Picture Book. What's better than ONE ninja TWO ninjas! Especially flying...on a dragon...with a cat! Adventure (and more sandwiches) await in this romp from Hello, Ninja creators N.D. Wilson and Forrest Dickison as young ninja Wes tackles his biggest challenge yet: making a new friend. Perfect for reading aloud and shared storytime! --Publisher Read in Preschool Time Jack B. Ninja Written By Time McCanna Illustrated by Stephen Savage New Yo...

  Chicken Soup, Chicken Soup By: Pamela Mayer Kar-Ben Publishing, 2016. Picture Book. Two grandmas. Two delicious recipes. Sophie loves Bubbe's Jewish chicken soup, made with kreplach. She also loves Nai Nai's Chinese chicken soup, with wonton. But don't tell Bubbe and Nai Nai that their soups are the same! Thukpa For All By:Praba Ram Karadi Tales Company, 2018. Picture Book. Tsering can't wait to taste his grandmother's delicious noodle soup. He invites a string of friends and neighbours home. But as preparations get underway, there is a power cut and the house is plunged into darkness. Will Abi be able to put together the much-anticipated thukpa? Told from a blind child's perspective, this tale by Praba Ram and Sheela Preuitt is accompanied by Shilpa Ranade's stunning illustrations. Freedom Soup By: Tami Charles Candlewick Press, 2019. Picture Book. Every year, Haitians all over the world ring in the new year by eating a special soup, a tradition dating ba...

  Memento Monstrum  Written by Jochen Till Illustrated by Wiebke Rauers Arctus, 2021. Fiction. 185 pages. Originally published in German, Memento Monstrum is a memoir about the vampire bat, Dracula. He is stuck babysitting his three grandchildren and he’s not sure how he is going to entertain them. When the kids find his scrapbook spanning 589 years of his life, they find out the grandpa has a lot of cool stories to share. He recounts his time meeting a ballerina yeti, an invisible secret agent, and a Rockstar werewolf and becoming great friends with all of them. He also shares how he outsmarted and escaped from the vampire hunter, Van Helsing many, many times. Just the cover art alone is the kind that makes you want to take this book off of the shelf. There are lovely full color illustrations scattered throughout the book and the stories Vlad Dracula tells actually had me laughing out loud. 

Yesterday was National Library Shelfie Day! This fun holiday was created by the New York Public Library in 2014 and has continued ever year since, on the 4th Wednesday in January. What is Library Shelfie Day? Library Shelfie day is a day to take a selfie in front of your favorite library shelf and share it on social media with the hashtag #LibraryShelfieDay. This can either be a shelf at your public library, your own personal home library, or a favorite book store. This is a way to celebrate the importance of libraries in the community and share your love of books! Ways to celebrate National Shelfie Day: 1.) Take a selfie in front of your favorite bookshelf at the Provo Library and share it on social media with the hashtag #LibraryShelfieDay & #ProvoLibrary. 2.) Come to the Provo Library and check out some books or renew your library card if it has been a while. 3.) Reorganize your own personal home library and get reacquainted with the books you own. 4.) Visit a local book store a...

Crazy Horse and Custer: Born Enemies By S.D. Nelson New York: Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2021. Biography. The Lakota leader Crazy Horse and General George Armstrong Custer, both legendary warriors, are profiled in a new and engaging way in this dual biography. In the 1800s, the American west was defined by idea of Manifest Destiny -- many Americans believed it was their destiny to take over every part North America, including lands that were occupied by Indigenous people. Into this world, Crazy Horse and George Custer were born within a year of each other. They both grew up believing that personal glory could be won through victory in violent conflict. Crazy Horse became famous for his fierce leadership through fights with other tribes, while Custer became notorious as a Civil War general. But the two men were bound to become fierce enemies because of racial divides. Their parallel lives are detailed in this engaging book, ending with their deaths. S.D. Nelson, who is Standing Roc...

Being Clem Written by Lisa Cline-Ransome Holiday House, 2021. Fiction.  It's 1944 and Clemson Thurber, Jr. or Clem as his family calls him, is in seventh grade. One day the family receives news from the Navy that Clem's father was killed in the Port Chicago disaster. Life for the Thurber family instantly becomes harder. Money becomes tight when no compensation money comes from the government and Clem's mother must get a job. With their mother working long hours Clem and his older sisters must take on more responsibilities at home. Although Clem doesn't remember his father he still wants to be as brave and strong as his father. He worries about making his father proud as he struggles to follow his instincts and do the right thing especially when faced with difficult decisions.  This coming of age story is the third novel in the "Finding Langston" trilogy but it held its own as a stand alone story. This novel addresses some tough issues like grief and depression...

Today is a big day for children’s librarianship! Today is the day that the Caldecott and Newbery Awards are announced! (Well, there are others as well—but let’s be honest the Caldecott and the Newbery are the big ones.) In case you didn’t know the Caldecott is the award given for the best illustrated book for children. The Newbery is the best book for children. And this year is especially important because this is the 100th Newbery Award given. Pretty important and impressive. Anyway, here are some of the big winners for the day!  John Newbery Medal  The Last Cuentista by Donna Barba Higuera Randolph Caldecott Medal   Watercress illustrated by Jason Chin. Written by Andrea Wang Coretta Scott King Author (African American Author) Unspeakable: The Tulsa Race Massacre by Carole Boston Weatherford Coretta Scott King Illustrator (African American Illustrator)   Unspeakable: The Tulsa Race Massacre illustrated by Floyd Cooper Odyssey Award (Audio Book)  Boogie Bo...

    Read in Toddler Time The Ugliest Monster in the World Written by Luis Amavisca Illustrated by Erica Salcedo Madrid, Spain: NubeOCHO, 2021. Picture Book. This little monster says it´s the ugliest in the world. A second monster claims being even uglier. What happens when a third monster shows up? Could a mirror help them to decide who is the ugliest monster in the world? --Publisher Read in Preschool Time Brave as a Mouse By Nicolò Carozzi New York : Random House Studio, 2021. Picture Book. A heroic little mouse leads three mischievous black cats on a wild and epic chase up and down a.nd over and around and into the pantry as part of a plan to protect her best friend, a goldfish the cats have been frightening. --Publisher Read in Preschool Time Mel Fell By Corey R. Tabor New York, NY : Balzer + Bray, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, 2021. Picture Book. Follow Mel on her journey from downward fall to triumphant flight in this tale of self-confidence and taking...

Dream Rescuers By Jennifer Lloyd Illustrated by Eden Cooke Simply Read, 2021. Intermediate. After Ruby failed her last Tooth Fairy test, she is need of a job. She hears about an opening at the Department of Dream Rescue and hurry's over to make the interview. She accepts the position as Dream Rescuer and is tasked with the job of helping human children with nightmares. Ruby and her team of fellow misfits dress in their gear and goggles, and head to their first assignment, a girl named Emma in London who is having very fitful sleep. They step into her dream to battle a dragon. This book is fun, charming and adventurous. The characters are funny and eager to help others. I loved the concept of this book. I'm sure some kids would love to have tiny mythical creatures help children fight off their nightmares. I would say that this book is on the easier side of  Intermediates. It has a little text and many pictures, but with 10 chapters, it will be a great starter chapter book.

It's National Cheese Lover's Day! If you're like me, then you have some favorite cheeses. I'm a sucker for Double-cream Brie, Smoked Gouda, and Sharp Cheddar. But although I love eating cheese, I don't know a lot of things about it! I took it upon myself to go to the library's online database and do some digging. You won't BELIEVE some of the cool facts about cheese I found!  Fact 1: Cheese can be made from the milk of ANY animal! In the United States, we mostly use cow's milk, but other countries such as Europe and Asia often make their milk from goats, sheep, and buffalo. Herders in Lapland (a region in Finland) even make their cheese from reindeer milk! Want to get even crazier? Camel, horse, donkey, and zebra milk have all been used to make cheese too! Fact 2: The United States is the world leader in cheese production. (And you thought it was Switzerland, didn't you?) Wisconsin and California produce the most cheese out of all fifty states. Toget...

Operation Sisterhood By Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich New York: Crown Books for Young Readers, 2022. Fiction. 11-year-old Bo is used to her quiet, cozy life with her single mother in their one-bedroom apartment in the Bronx. But when Mum announces her engagement to Bill, who makes Mum smile more than she ever has, Bo knows that big changes are coming. Changes like a new stepsister named Sunday, a move to Harlem, a change to "free schooling" and a big new chosen family with two more sisters, twins named Lee and Lil, and their parents who share Bill's brownstone along with a slew of pets. Bo's new family is welcoming and happy to include her, but the transition is overwhelming for Bo -- especially since she feels like she never gets time alone with Mum anymore. Still, she begins to grow closer to her sisters as the girls plan a neighborhood block party to celebrate Mum and Bill's marriage. This is a happy novel about a blended family coming together and discovering ...

  Clarice the Brave  By Lisa McMann  Illustrated by Antonio Caparo  G.P. Putnum’s Sons, 2021. 265 p.  Clarice is a mouse that lives aboard a sailing ship. She has a hard life. One day a ship’s cat eats her sister and soon after her mother is swept overboard. That leaves Clarice on board the ship with only her younger brother, Charles Sebastian, who is afraid of almost everything. Then there is a mutiny among the humans. Clarice is thrown in with the Captain and Captain’s pet cat in a life boat. Charles Sebastian is left aboard the ship with two more cats and a bunch of chickens. Clarice must do all in her power to figure out how to survive and to get reunited with her brother again.  This is a good book for young readers who want more books like the Redwall series by Brian Jacques or the Warriors series by Erin Hunter. Clarice is brave and courageous as she tries to do impossible human-sized things while being just a small mouse. Also, the book has fun il...

Across the Desert By Dusti Bowling New York : Little, Brown and Company, 2021. Fiction. Jolene spends her days keeping cool at the Phoenix Public Library, reading travel books, drawing maps, and watching her favorite adventurer live streamer, Addie Earhart. She has needed to take care of herself over the years, ever since her mother got into a terrible car accident and then became addicted to opioids. This has resulted in a tricky home life situation for Jolene and not a lot of friends. Over time, Addie becomes one of Jolene's only friends as they chat online. One day, while Jolene is watching Addie's livestream, Addie accidentally crashes her ultralight plane in the middle of the desert and loses contact. Jolene knows that she is the only person who knows where Addie is located and she sets out on an adventure to help her. As she sets out, she realizes that there are people who are willing to help her in her rescue mission both for her friend Addie, and with her mom's addi...

 Yesterday the Provo City Library held its Mock Caldecott to talk about the best picture books published in 2021. This year we came up with one winner as well as four honor books.  Mock Caldecott Winner: Red  By Laura Vaccaro Seeger  New York : Holiday House, 2021. We loved the full-bleed illustrations that told the story of a fox. The die cuts and various tones of red enrich the story and draw readers into the pages.  Mock Caldecott Honors: It Fell From the Sky  By The Fan Brothers  New York : Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2021. The specific introduction of color to the largely black and white illustrations enhance this story told from the many bugs points of view. Readers will enjoy looking at their world in a different way.  Have You Ever Seen a Flower?  By Shawn Harris San Francisco : Chronicle Books, 2021. This is a florescent feast for the eyes. The bright colors and bold illustrations lend well to reading to a large gro...

  Pawcasso By: Remy Lai Henry Holt & Company, 2021. Graphic Novel. On a very boring day, Jo notices a dog outside her window carrying a basket. Curious, she follows the dog to see what he is up to. He makes several stops at different shops around town, carrying a list of needs in the basket he carries and the money to pay for them. When some people mistake Jo for the dogs owner, she doesn't have a chance to correct herself and then falls into a web of lies that she can't untangle herself from without risking her new friendships in the process.  This graphic novel was just delightful. Remy Lai has a wonderful way of engaging readers with the creation of intriguing stories and gratifying illustrations. Readers will grow attached to Pawcasso and sympathize with Jo as she navigates the difficulties surrounding her lie amidst her budding friendship with this loveable dog. This read is perfect for middle grade graphic novelists who enjoy warm hearted stories and dogs.

Benjamin Franklin did many impressive things throughout his life, but did you know when he was just 11 years old, he invented swim flippers?  Swim flippers may have been little Ben's first invention, but they would not be his last!  Benjamin Franklin would go on to become a prolific inventor, so it's no coincidence that January 17th, the anniversary of Benjamin Franklin's birthday, was selected to be Kid Inventor's Day.  Benjamin Franklin was not the first or last kid to invent something cool, though.  Through the years other kids have invented all sorts of things, from the popsicle, to the trampoline, to ear muffs!  Check out our list of books below to learn more about inventors and get a few tips on how to become an inventor yourself. Kid Innovators: True Tales of Childhood from Inventors and Trailblazers By Robin Stevenson Quirk Books, 2021. Informational. Childhood biographies of sixteen trailblazers in technology, education, business, science, art, and...

  Marshmallow & Jordan Written and Illustrated by Alina Chau First Second, 2021. Graphic Novel. Jordan is a young girl from Indonesia who loves basketball and playing on the basketball team. One day a terrible accident leaves her partially paralyzed, and now Jordan must navigate the world in a wheel chair. Jordan is still the captain of her basketball team but she can't compete which means no more playing basketball. One day she rescues an injured baby elephant and she names him Marshmallow. Marshmallow can see that Jordan needs a new challenge so he convinces her to try a new sport. Jordan joins the water polo team which brings new challenges but rewards as well. As she takes on new responsibilities and learns some new skills she must also navigate new friendship issues. Gorgeous watercolor art fills this book with pictures of the beautiful Indonesian countryside. Indonesian words are sprinkled throughout the story and there is a fact page at the end of the book about the coun...

I used to have a roommate who loved penguins. A lot. Which means that I often pay attention when a good book comes out that has penguins in it. Also, it is the time of year when it is cold and snowy…and I feel like I waddle around in my snow clothes the same way that penguins do. Anyway, all of this is to say that I apparently have penguins on my mind—so I will tell you about five of my favorite penguin-themed picture books. Enjoy!  Amos McGee Misses the Bus  By Philip C. Stead  Illustrated by Erin E. Stead  Roaring Brook Press, 2021. Picture Book.  In this clever sequel to the Caldecott winner A Sick Day for Amos McGee , Amos McGee plans to have a special day with all of the animals at the zoo—including the penguin. However, he ends up missing his bus and isn’t able to treat the animals to the special outing without a little bit of help.  Little Penguins  By Cynthia Rylant  Illustrated by Christian Robinson  Schwartz & Wade Books, 2016....