Provo Library Children's Book Blog

It is that time of year when things are starting to get a little festive—and I thought I would share some of my five new favorite Christmas picture books. Check out these titles to help you get into the holiday spirit!  The Best Gift for Bear  By Jennifer A. Bell  Two Lions, 2022. Picture Book. In this tale Hedgehog takes time to make special cookie gifts for all her friends. However, she really wants to make give something extra special for her friend Bear. Eventually Hedgehog decides on the perfect gift—only as she heads to Bear’s house to give it to her, a big gust of wind dashes the gift to pieces. Bear comes out and sees what happens and Hedgehog soon learns that the best gift isn’t necessarily something…but the kind friendship you offer someone. This book is such a great treat for a holiday read!  The Perfect Tree  Words by Corinne Demas  Pictures by Penelope Dullaghan  Cameron Kids, a division of ABRAMS, 2022. Picture Book. Bunny has prepared ev...

  Bear Has a Belly  By Jane Whittingham  Pajama Press, 2022. Picture Book. This is a great book to read with toddlers (or babies)! On each spread the text reads with three lines that all end in a particular animal part followed by “I do too!” that kids can repeat together. For example, the first page reads, “Rabbit has ears—Long, floppy ears. Rabbit has ears. I do too!” With bright pictures of animals as well as kids showing off the various body parts (eyes, back, nose, etc.), kids will enjoy looking at the animal and the child before looking for their own feet or belly or whatnot. This will be a happy edition to any story time or toddler’s reading time.

We all deal with big emotions, and sometimes it can be overwhelming for children to deal with such giant feelings in such small bodies. Here are a few picture books to help teach kids (and perhaps adults) what to do when they feel over stimulated, cranky, happy, excited, and everything else.  Wild for Winnie By Laura Marx Fitzgerald Illustrated by Jenny Løvlie New York, New York : Dial Books for Young Readers, 2022. Picture Book Winnie sees, hears, and feels the world differently than we might. She gets antsy, squirrelly, and can’t seem to sit still sometimes. Instead of being punished and reprimanded, Winnie’s teacher suggests that the entire class follows Winnie’s lead. This book is a great representation of sensory sensitivity and sensory processing disorders. With a guide in the back to help you and your little ones who may relate to Winnie, this picture book is sure to become a favorite. Cranky Right Now By Julie Berry Illustrated by Holly Hatam Boulder, CO : Sounds True, 2021...

  50 Wacky Inventions Throughout History By Joe Rhatigan Walter Foster Jr., 2017. Informational. Have you ever heard of a bike TV? Or a bird diaper? 50 Wacky Inventions Throughout History describes 50 inventions that seem too crazy to be true--but are! Whether useful, entertaining, or just plain silly, these mind-boggling inventions and gadgets from yesterday, today, and tomorrow will surprise and delight fun-fact lovers of all ages.  Incredible Inventions By Matt Turner Beetle Books, Hungry Tomato Imprint, 2019. Informational. Take a lively, sweeping look at some of the most important light-bulb moments in the development of inventions. Find out how one idea often led to another, and revealed something new and exciting about our world. How ancient lighthouses led to 3D movies and 5,000 year old writing led eventually to the internet, roman watermills to flushing toilets and dug-out canoes to space explorations. In the Home By Jon Richards Franklin Watts, 2016. Informational. ...

Read in Toddler Time Emergency Kittens! Written by Jody Jensen Shaffer Illustrated by Dave Mottram New York : Doubleday Books for Young Readers, 2020. Picture Book. Meet the EMERGENCY KITTENS, a trio of furry, gentle superheroes who come to the rescue with their incredible cuteness when the going gets tough. When bullies steal Sheldon's ball in the playground, a pack of your usual, everyday, human caped crusaders leaps to the rescue. But when their showy feats of strength and agility fail to impress, some real heroes step in to save the day- EMERGENCY KITTENS!!! With their unending cuteness and unforgivably adorable purrs, this mighty trio of fluffy goodness turns any sticky situation into one of pure cuddles.--Publisher Read in Preschool Time Anzu the Great Kaiju By Benson Shum New York : Roaring Brook Press, 2022. Picture Book. All great kaiju are born with a super power to strike fear in the heart of the city. But Anzu is different. Instead of mayhem, he likes May flowers. Inste...

As I scroll through Pinterest, I am always so amazed at everyone's creativity. I often find myself thinking, "Wow! I wish I could make something like that!" The truth is, if I stopped wishing and actually tried to make something, I could probably create something pretty cool. Here are some books to inspire you to pick up a new hobby and become a maker.   Collage Workshop for Kids: Rip, Snip, Cut, and Create with Inspiration from The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art By Shannon Merenstein Quarry Books, 2018. Informational. 152 pages. This book encourages children to use all types of materials to make collages. You can use paper, fabric, wood, pom poms, stickers, yarn, cardboard, tissue paper, etc. This is such a fun art medium because you can get creative with whatever you already have on hand. This book walks you through workshops to try out different collage techniques.  Making Memories: Practice Mindfulness. Learn to Journal and Scrapbook. Find Calm Every Day. Writt...

  Going Places: Victor Hugo Green and His Glorious Book Written by Tonya Bolden Illustrated by Eric Velasquez Quill Tree Books, 2022. Informational.  Beginning in 1936, Victor Hugo Green began publishing his Green Book , a travel guide for Black families to assist them in their travels through Jim Crow era America. As Green visited different parts of America, he found that there were places where Blacks were treated with respect, and places that refused to even let them be within the city limits after dark. He started his book by including places only near his hometown of Harlem, New York and eventually it grew to have information about major cities in every US state. It covered not only where to travel, but where to eat, get a haircut, fix your car, and go out dancing.  This book is an accessible story in picture book format for young children to learn about segregation and Jim Crow laws. Older children will love looking at the detailed oil paint illustrations of primary...

This time of year inspires memories of gathering together with loved ones, eating delicious food, and finding ways to express gratitude to one another and our communities. One of the most enduring ways to show we care is by sharing a hot meal or favorite treat with someone. Let these stories of families, neighbors, and friends cooking together inspire you to create deeper bonds and new traditions. Enjoy! Cooking for your neighbors: What's Cooking at 10 Garden Street? By Felicita Sala New York, NY: Prestel Publishing, 2019. Picture Book. In an old apartment building on Garden Street, each resident is cooking up something special to share with their neighbors in a communal meal. Representing a diverse array of cultures with charming illustrations, each neighbor's simple recipe is included for readers to try at home.  Cooking with your family: Soul Food Sunday Written by Winsome Bingham Illustrated by C. G. Esperanza New York: Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2021. Picture Bo...

Unicorns are magical, sparkly, and everyone seems to love them! Not only do others love them, sometimes, creatures just want to BE them. Here are five books where other creatures want to be a Unicorn, or think that they are Unicorns. Take a look at some of these Unicorn Wannabes! Itty-Bitty Kitty-Corn Written by Shannon Hale Illustrated by LeUyen Pham New York : Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2021. Picture Book. Kitty looks like a kitty but feels like a unicorn. When others start to tease her, she starts to question who she is. She finds some friends that help her to embrace who she is. I'm a Unicorn By Helen Yoon Somerville, Massachusetts : Candlewick Press, 2022. Picture Book. A little calf is born with only one horn and decides that they are a unicorn! As the calf continues to do more research and then later meets some real unicorns, the little calf starts to let doubt creep in and question who they are.  When You Adopt a Pugicorn Written by Matilda Rose Illustrated by Tim Budg...

Life as a Ninja By Matt Doeden Mankato, MN: Capstone Press, 2010. Informational. Describes the lives of ninjas in feudal Japan. The reader's choices reveal historical details from the perspectives of a ninja taking part in the siege of Sawayama Castle, fighting the army of Oda Nobunaga, and serving as a member of the Band of Iga. Spies of World War I By Michael Burgan North Mankato, MN: Capstone Press, 2016. Informational. The world's great powers have all been swept up in the first global war. Spying on the enemy can provide information that might be useful for your country's war effort. The work is dangerous but exciting. Will you: Offer your services to the German intelligence agency as an English-speaking spy? Work as an Allied female spy in German-occupied Belgium? Be sent to Russia as a member of Britain's Secret Intelligence Service? You Choose offers multiple perspectives on espionage in World War I. The Civil Rights Movement By Heather Adamson Mankato, MN: Caps...

Read in Toddler Time Milk and Juice: A Recycling Romance By Meredith Crandall Brown New York, NY : Harper, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, 2021. Picture Book. Once upon a time, in a refrigerator not too far away, a jug of milk and a bottle of juice fell in love. All was bliss until Juice was taken away from its one true love and ... recycled. Thus begins Milk and Juice's humorous journey through many incarnations around the world. Will they ever be reunited? Or will they stay star-crossed lovers for all eternity?--Publisher Read in Preschool Time Peanut Butter and Jellyfish By Jarrett J. Krosoczka New York : Alfred A. Knopf, 2014. Picture Book. Best friends Peanut Butter and Jellyfish are constantly being taunted by their neighbor, Crabby, until they help him out of a jam.--Publisher Read in Preschool Time I Am Not a Fish! By Peter Raymundo New York : Dial Books for Young Readers, 2019. Picture Book. Edgar is a jellyfish, but he doesn't look, act, or feel very much like ...

Frizzy Written by Claribel A. Ortega Illustrated by Rose Bousamra New York: First Second Books, 2022. Graphic Novel. 212pgs. Marlene goes with her mother every Sunday to have her hair straightened. She hates it, but her mother insists on her having "good hair". Marlene doesn't understand why her curls are considered bad, especially when having straight hair means sitting through the torturous straightening process and not doing fun things like dancing, which makes her a little sweaty and her hair a lot more curly. Her Tia Ruby is her idol and most importantly, has the most beautiful, big curly hair.  This comic book is all about being yourself and embracing your beauty. Marlene learns that having curly hair isn't a bad thing. After a few embarrassing hair days and some uncomfortable talks with her mother, Marlene learns how to take care of her curls from her Tia Ruby and feels more herself than ever before! This inspiring tale will teach us all that we are more than j...

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. I love being able to gather with my family and have fun together, and I love all of the Thanksgiving day foods. Pie is easily my favorite food of the holiday. Here are five picture books that will keep you occupied as we anxiously await the holiday and its delicious treats. Peyton Picks the Perfect Pie By Jack Bishop Illustrated by Michelle Mee Nutter Boston, MA: America's Test Kitchen, 2020. Picture Book. Peyton is very particular about what foods she likes to eat. Soon before Thanksgiving, she decides she wants to branch out and try something new at her family's annual dinner. Peyton decides that trying one of the pies brought by the guests will give her the most options, but as each new pie arrives, she becomes more and more nervous at the thought of trying any of them, until some advice from her aunt helps her learn to face her fear. A recipe for apple pie is included. Mum, Me, and the Mulberry Tree By Tanya Rosie Illustrated by Chuck Gr...

Witchlings By Claribel A. Ortega New York: Scholastic Press, 2022. Fantasy. 334 p. In the magical town of Ravenskill, the biggest night of the year is the Black Moon Ceremony. On this night, every 12-year-old Witchling in this city is assigned to their coven where they will come into their full powers -- unless they are a "spare." Spares are Witchlings who are not sorted into a coven, never come into their powers, and are treated like a servant class in the community. On the night of the ceremony, we meet Seven Salazar who is devastated when she is made a spare with two other girls. Shocked, scared, and determined to avoid this fate, Seven and the other spares, mean girl Valley and new girl in town Thorn, invoke the Clause of the Impossible Task in order to become witches.  This is a light and fun fantasy novel about three well-developed characters learning to work together and see past first judgements in order to succeed. Claribel Ortega creates a lush, richly detailed fant...

Growing up, Charlie Brown's movies were a staple of my elementary school around the holidays.  Halloween?  " It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown ."  Thanksgiving?  " A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving ."  Christmas?  " A Charlie Brown Christmas ."  You couldn't hit a major holiday without at least one teacher, and sometimes several, showing a Charlie Brown movie in class.  I think we can all agree that a movie in class equaled the best day ever.  So it's maybe no surprise that I equate Charlie Brown with holidays and good times.  As a gift to Charlie Brown for all the fun holiday times had NOT doing schoolwork, I've compiled a list of books tailored just for his unique interests and challenges.  To give Charlie Brown an excuse to quit trying to kick that dang football- Final Season Written by Tim Green Harper Collins Children's Books, 2021. Fiction. 296 pgs. After Ben's dad, a former NFL player, receives a heartbreaking ALS diagnosi...