Provo Library Children's Book Blog

Read in Toddler Time & Preschool Time One Sheep, Two Sheep Written by Tammi Sauer Illustrated by Troy Cummings New York : Abrams Appleseed, 2021. Picture Book. In this hilarious barnyard picture book, Rooster is trying to count sheep but keeps getting interrupted by all of the animals on the farm. They're ruffling his feathers-and they don't look the slightest bit sheepish! Featuring bright, commercial illustrations and text perfect for read-alouds, One Sheep, Two Sheep is sure to make young readers giggle as they help Rooster count up to ten.--Publisher Read in Preschool Time Everybunny Count! By Ellie Sandall New York, NY : Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2018. Picture Book. Bunnies play hide-and-seek and count together in this bright, colorful picture book that explores the natural world and celebrates friendship and one of the most beloved early childhood games. But that's not all. There's a special surprise awaiting the bunnies when they take a peek inside fox...

In January of 2019 Meg Medina won the Newbery Medal for her novel Merci Suárez Changes Gears . It is a great book with loveable Merci who is trying to navigate life: school, her family, and her bicycle. Many readers have loved this book—with good reason. If you are one of those readers who are looking for good books similar to Merci Suárez, here are some other great books for you to try. Enjoy!  Cuba in My Pocket  By Adrianna Cuevas  Farrar, Straus, Giroux for Young Readers, 2021. Fiction. 275 p.  This is a historical fiction about 12-year-old Cumba who is sent to Maiami from Cuba when life is getting a little sticky with Fidel Castro’s new government. Cumba has to live with a new family in the United States and figure out life and school in a new environment. Cumba is also one of those characters who readers will root for even after the book ends. If you want a good story with a lot of heart, this is your next book to read.  Maizy Chen’s Last Chance  By Li...

The Poisoned Apple: A Fractured Fairy Tale Written and Illustrated by Anne Lambelet  Salem, MA: Page Street Kids, 2020. Picture Book.  Are you in the mood for a funny, darkly humorous fairy tale? Then this is your picture book.  A witch has slaved away creating the perfect poisoned apple for a sweet princess. The witch sets her evil plot into motion by giving the apple to the princess and watches from the woods for the princess to take a bite. But what's this?! The kindhearted princess has given away the perfect poisoned apple to a dwarf! From there, the witch's evil scheme spirals out of control. She must get the poisoned apple back! Will she be able to snatch it back to secure her happily ever after? Or will the princess and the forest animals unwittingly win the day?   In this hilarious story, we learn that what goes around comes around. I love the illustrations and the spidery, drippy text the author uses for the words "the poisoned apple." I can jus...

We all have our favorite books about unicorns, dragons and mermaids. But what about a cyclops? Or a gnome? Even though they are out of the ordinary, these creatures are just as fantastical and have the added bonus of opening up new high-quality reading options! Here are five favorite books about uncommon mythical creatures: Willa the Wisp (Fabled Stables #1) Written by Jonathan Auxier Illustrated by Olga Demidova New York: Amulet Books, 2020. Intermediate. 85 pages. Auggie lives on a magical island and takes care of its one-of-a-kind creatures in the Fabled Stable. When one of the incoming inhabitants, a wisp, is in danger Auggie comes to the rescue with a creative plan and a little help from his friends.  Gnome By Fred Blunt Minneapolis: Andersen Press USA, 2020. Picture Book.  As we follow Mr. Gnome throughout his day, he is consistently grumpy and answers "NO," to almost every question asked of him! Upon sitting down to fish, he encounters a witch and he soon learns th...

Jackie and the Mona Lisa Written by Deborah Rovin Murphy Illustrated by Jen Bricking Sleeping Bear Press, 2022. Biography. This is an inspiring story of how First Lady, Jacqueline Kennedy went about organizing the first public showing in America of the famous painting, the Mona Lisa. Mrs. Kennedy loved art and during her time as First Lady, she worked hard to restore the White House and fill it with historical artifacts. Her plan was to have the White house be a venue for art shows, concerts, dance recitals, and more. This is the story of how she arranged to bring a 450-year-old art piece, the Mona Lisa, to America. After a lot of negotiations with the French government she was able to arrange for the Mona Lisa to travel by Boat from France to America to be displayed in two American museums. When the French public found out that their beloved painting was traveling so far they were very worried but the American people couldn't wait for the chance to see the beloved French masterpie...

We all know that the Very Hungry Caterpillar is notorious for his love of food. Here are some food book that I believe he would love to chomp down on!  A Family for Louie By: Alexandra Thompson G. P. Putnam's Sons, 2020. Picture Book.  Louie loves the best of foods and lives a very happy life. The only thing he is missing is a family. Will he find the perfect family? Fussy Flamingo By: Shelly James Sourcebooks Jabberwocky, 2020. Picture Book. Lola does not like shrimp. Despite all of the encouragement from her flamingo family, whenever everyone's back's are turned she finds new foods to try that turn her all sorts of wild colors. Halal Hot Dogs By: Susannah Aziz Little Bee Books, 2021. Picture Book. Musa's family rotates picking the food they will eat to celebrate after Jummah Prayer each week. When it is his turn, he has the perfect treat- Halal hot dogs! Little Red and the Cat Who Loved Cake By: Barbara Lehman Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2021. Picture Book. In this boo...

Read in Toddler Time Not Yet, Zebra Written by Lou Kuenzler Illustrated by Julia Woolf London : Faber & Faber, 2018. Picture Book. Annie said to the animals, "Please stand in a line. I'm painting my alphabet. Come one at a time! First Aardvark and Bear and Crocodile too. Not yet, Zebra. I'm not ready for you". Annie wants to paint an alphabet using her animals, but Zebra simply can't wait until the end for his time to shine. Sneakiness, silly costumes and plain pushiness doesn't get him anywhere - but he has to learn to wait his turn!--Publisher  Read in Preschool Time What Do You Do If You Work at the Zoo? By Steve Jenkins and Robin Page Boston : Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2020. Informational. Caldecott Honor-winning team Steve Jenkins and Robin Page introduce young readers to the people who keep zoo animals safe, healthy, and happy, even though they aren't in the wild habitats they've evolved for. From cuddling a baby kangaroo to trimming elephan...

  Anne's Tragical Tea Party Written by Kallie George Illustrated by Abigail Halpin Toronto: Tundra Books, 2022. Intermediate. Get ready to dive into the world of Anne Shirley. This charming Intermediate chapter book series is a great classic retelling of the beloved Anne of Green Gables. This installment is the epic tale of when Anne invites her bosom friend, Diana Barry, over for a grown-up tea party and accidentally serves her currant wine instead of raspberry cordial. Anne notoriously has her head up in the clouds and in this case, it could cost her a friend. You might already know how this story ends--Anne, with her persistence and compassion, saves the day! This book perfectly captures the romantic and whimsical tale from Anne of Green Gables. It's a simple chapter book for your beginner readers but still includes classic Anne language like "bosom friend" and of course "tragical". The illustrations are beautiful and will make you wish you lived in a tim...

 I love New York City. I love the hustle and bustle and movement of thousands of people going places at once. I love the feeling of getting on the subway and knowing that anywhere you get off, you can find a distinct culture with different foods, languages, and people. I love that no matter how many times you've visited, there's always something new do in New York, somewhere new to explore. I've visited New York enough times, and given enough friends tours of New York, that I've started to think of myself less as a tourist and more as local who doesn't get to spend enough time in their city. So today I'm going to take you on a tour of New York without you ever having to leave your house... and maybe I'll even convince you to give NYC a try! Ida, Always By Caron Levis and Charles Santoso Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2016. Picture Book. Our first spot on our tour of New York is Central Park. Did you know that Central Park runs from 59th to 110th streets a...

The Aquanaut By Dan Santat New York: Graphix, 2022. Graphic novel. Things haven't been the same since Sophia's father, world-famous marine biologist Michel Revoy, was lost at sea. Sophia lives with her uncle Paul, her father's brother and partner, but he has become obsessed with work and disconnected from Sophia, often neglecting her and the Aqualand theme park that Michel and Paul used to operate. Just when the key investor to Aqualand threatens to pull his investment if the park doesn't get more tourist friendly (think dolphin shows and orcas doing tricks), a mysterious figure in an antique diving suit appears. The mysterious figure is actually a group of sea creatures dead set on delivering Michel Revoy's last message -- and maybe healing Sophia and Paul at the same time. This book is a rare treat. The perfect blending of humor, action, and deep-felt emotions results in a delightful book. The graphic novel format is especially successful here -- the facial expres...

Half of my kids love to strap on an apron and help in the kitchen. They do not get that from me.  The other half really hate cooking in all it's different shapes and forms. They DEFINITELY get that from me. But even those of us who don't enjoy cooking really love to look through great cookbooks and dream about how yummy our lives could be. Whether your kids are already little chefs or just dreamers of it, they're sure to enjoy perusing the pages of these beautifully compiled cookbooks just for kids.   The Big Fun Kids Cookbook By Food Network Hearst Home Kids, 2020. Informational. 150+ fun, easy recipes for young cooks, plus bonus games and food trivia!  The Big, Fun Kids Cookbook from Food Network Magazine gives young chefs everything they need to succeed in the kitchen. Recipes are easy to follow, and include color photos and tips for beginners.  The Complete Baking Book for Young Chefs By America's Test Kitchen Kids  Sourcebooks Explore, 2019. Info...

  Chester Van Chime Who Forgot How to Rhyme  By Avery Monsen & Abby Hanlon New York ; Boston : Little, Brown and Company, 2022. Picture Book.  Chester van Chime wakes up one day and realizes that he has forgotten how to rhyme! This is very unusual for Chester because rhyming is one of his greatest skills. As he goes throughout his day, he tries everything to get his rhyming skills back, but nothing seems to work. Will Chester ever be able to rhyme again? This picture book is a perfect read-aloud to help young readers learn how to rhyme, in a hilarious way. While the text is set up perfectly to end each phrase in a rhyming word, because Chester has forgotten how to rhyme, each phrase ends with a series of other words describing the situation instead of the word that would complete the rhyme. Along with the hilarious text, the illustrations are so clever. Each page, feels like a seek & find, as readers can find multiple small pictures of rhyming combos, a fox wearin...

Start a Band! Written by Matt Anniss Arcturus Publishers, 2012. Informational. Songwriting and performing are rewarding and fun. So why not give it a go? This book gives you all the advice and encouragement you need to take your first steps in the world of music. The Business of Being a Music Influencer Written by Kaitlin Scirri Capstone Press, 2021. Informational. Are you always looking for the newest bands and singers? Do you love to talk about music and share your musical opinions with others? Then you might have what it takes to be a music influencer. Learn about social media marketing and basic economics, and discover what it takes to become a music influencer, all while staying safe and having fun. The Stories of Musical Instruments Written by Stepanka Sekaninova Albatros, 2021. Informational. Niccolo the cricket would like to become a musician. But which instrument should he start with? The violin? The guitar? The trumpet? All at once? Well, he does have six limbs, so why not? I...