Provo Library Children's Book Blog

  The Day the Crayons Quit Written by Drew Daywalt Illustrated by Oliver Jeffers Philomel Books, 2013. Picture Book. When Duncan arrives at school one morning, he finds a stack of letters, one from each of his crayons, complaining about how he uses them. More Than Peach: Changing the World... One Crayon at a Time! Written by Bellen Woodard Illustrated by Fanny Liem Scholastic, Inc., 2022. Picture Book. The very first Crayon Activist presents this picture book in which she spreads a message of inclusivity, empowerment and the importance of inspiring the next generation of leaders through The Peach Project and crayons. Creepy Crayon! Written by Peter Reynolds Illustrated by Peter Brown Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2022. Picture Book. When Jasper Rabbit finds a purple crayon willing to do his schoolwork for him, he is elated--at first. The Crayon Man: The True Story of the Invention of Crayola Crayons Written by Natascha Biebow Illustrated by Steven Salerno Houghton M...

The Sky is Not the Limit By Jérémie Decalf Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, 2023. Informational picture book. In 1977, NASA launched the Voyager 2 probe into deep space to help us lean a little more about outer space. Within a few years, Voyager 2 reached Jupiter, then Saturn, then finally Uranus and Neptune -- and then it sailed on. In fact, Voyager 2 is still soaring, past the edges of our solar system and into space.  This sparse and lyrical picture book offers an introduction to the story of Voyager 2 and a sense of the vastness of space. Told in first person, from the perspective of the famous space probe, the text follows the journey of the spacecraft from creation and then through space. The illustrations are rich and breathtaking and convey the enormity of outer space with full-bleed illustrations. This creative nonfiction book will not tell all the nitty gritty details of Voyager, but will serve as a perfect attention-getter for young readers.

As a child, I was absolutely terrified of bees. It felt like they would seek me out just to sting me-and only me. As I have grown, I have come to realize that bees are actually awesome, and they're incredible pollinators. Here are some favorite books about bees! Some are informational and some are stories, but they all celebrate the amazingness of bees. The Honeybee Written by Kristen Hall Illustrated by Isabelle Arsenault Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2018. Picture Book. This book has beautiful bright illustrations. It's poetic, and follows a bee around to see how honey is made. It has a lot of fun onomatopoeias in it, so kids will love making all of the sounds while reading. The Bee Book By Charlotte Milner DK Publishing, 2018. Informational. 47 pages. The Bee Book is a super cool informational book about bees. It is full of colorful infographics about honey bees. Did you know that one teaspoon of honey is the lifetime work of 12 honeybees? Now I know that and tons of oth...

  Hoops By Matt Tavares Candlewick Press, 2023. Comic. 215 pages. Are you going through a basketball withdrawal now that college basketball is over and the Utah Jazz season has ended? I know I am. Which is why I was so excited to read Hoops. Hoops is a work of fiction inspired by a true story about a high school in Indiana that gets its first girls' basketball team in 1975 as a result of the passing of Title IX. Judi Wilson has always dreamed of making the winning shot at a state championship game, despite the fact that there is no state championship for girls' basketball, or even a girls' basketball team at her school. Instead, she starts out the novel as a cheerleader. When the school's athletic director makes the announcement at a pep rally that the girls will get a basketball team, Judi, along with all of the other girls who bother to go to the tryout, makes the team. She soon finds, however, that just because they have a team doesn't mean that things are equal....

A picture book is the quintessential (not to mention developmentally appropriate) literary format for the kindergarten crowd. Here are five new releases that any five or six-year-old, as well as, their parents can be excited about:  Mister Kitty Is Lost! By Greg Pizzoli New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2023. Picture Book.  Follow along with a young girl and her dog as they look for her lost pet, Mr. Kitty. The search is carried along by the girl's descriptions of Mr. Kitty, as well as, interactive questions posed to the readers.     Blurp's Book of Manners By Cindy Derby New York: Roaring Brook Press, 2022. Picture Book.  When manners teacher, Ms. Picklepop, spills a bucket of paint she inadvertently creates, Blurp, a creature who puts what it means to practice your manners to the ultimate test.  Twenty Questions Written by Mac Barnett Illustrated by Christian Robinson  Somerville, Massachusetts: Candlewick Press, 2023. Picture Book.  Wit...

  The Grace of Wild Things By Heather Fawcett HarperCollins Publishers, 2023. 360 Pgs. Grace has always known that she was different from the other children at the orphanage and when she was overlooked for adoption once again she decides to run away. She has never been good at anything except magic so she goes looking for the witch who lives in the woods.  Grace is determined to become the witches apprentice no matter how scary she may be and Grace tells herself that the witch surely isn't as wicked as everyone claims. But when Grace is nearly eaten by the witch she is forced to reconsider her plan. In desperation she strikes a bargain with the witch. Grace agrees to complete the witch's book of spells by the time the cherry trees bloom. If she can finish all of the spells in the witch's book, the witch will take her on as her apprentice, but if she fails she must freely give her magic to the witch.  If you love the classic story of Anne of Green Gables you will enjoy thi...

Making songs into books is one of my favorite things. I love the added illustrations, the ability to see a familiar song in a new light, or learn a new song! These 5 picture books are all based on a song, some of which are familiar, and some of which are brand new. The messages vary book-to-book, but each shows the power of music, love, and community. 12 Days of Kindness By Irene Latham Illustrated by Junghwa Park. New York : G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2022. Picture Book. In this story, the holiday classic "12 Days of Christmas" gets a new twist, focusing instead on ways to show kindness. Children and adults will be able to model the "days of kindness," and this book follows the cumulative formatting, meaning it repeats each day after a new one is introduced. This book is a great reminder, especially with its familiar and catchy tune, of how we can be kind everyday.  Sweet Child O' Mine By Guns N' Roses Illustrated by Jennifer Zivoin New York : Jimmy Patterson ...

Flora and the Flamingo By Molly Idle San Francisco, CA: Chronicle Books, 2013. Picture book. In this wordless book, a friendship develops between a girl named Flora and a graceful flamingo, as they learn to dance together. Dance Like a Flamingo By Moira Butterfield Illustrated by Claudia Boldt London, UK: Welbeck Editions, 2020. Informational. Learn how to move and groove like the animals do with this bright, fun and silly book aimed at younger readers to engage them in movement! Flamingo is Brave By Sue Graves Illustrated by Trevor Dunton New York: Franklin Watts, 2022. Informational. Flamingo is scared of many things, such as spiders, the dark, and getting lost, but his grandfather shows him how to be brave, and Flamingo explains his fears to his friends so they can all be brave together. The Case of the Missing Hippo By Laura James Illustrated by Emily Fox New York: Bloomsbury Children's Books, 2019. Intermediate. Flamingo detective Fabio and his giraffe associate, Gilbert, inve...

Toddler Time Blue vs. Yellow By Tom Sullivan New York, NY : Balzer + Bray, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, 2017. Picture Book. Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, welcome to the clash of the colors! Blue vs yellow. Which one will be declared the best color of all? Will they join forces and be mightier together? Or will another color challenge them for the title? Ding! Ding! Let the battle begin!--Publisher Preschool Time Ava and the Rainbow (Who Stayed) By Ged Adamson New York : Harper, An Imprint HarperCollinsPublisher, 2018. Picture Book. The rain had stopped and the sun was coming out. And Ava knew that meant one thing ... A RAINBOW! And not just any rainbow--this was the most beautiful rainbow Ava had ever seen. She wished that it could stay up in the bright sky forever. When the rainbow was still there the next day, and the next day, Ava realized it was true--the rainbow had decided to stay! Everyone loved the rainbow as much as Ava. And she was happy. But when people sta...

Dim Sum, Here We Come! By Maple Lam New York: Harper, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, 2023. Picture Book. Every Sunday is dim sum day! The little narrator tells the story of how her extended family meet at the restaurant for her favorite meal. She describes all the different types of foods they get in the bamboo steamers including her favorite--char siu buns. Everyone takes turns, going around the table, and picks out their dim sum from the spinning center of the table.  This is a beautiful story about familial traditions and relationships. It's a great example of why connection is so important, especially over a delicious meal. The narrator is excited to eat her favorite foods but even more so to see her grandmother. She loves her family and recognizes that this time together every Sunday is special. It's a lovely book that will make you hungry for dumplings and eager to spend time with your loved ones.

Spring is my favorite season of the year. I love rain, I love when it's warm enough to go outside without a coat, and I love when everything starts to turn green, but the best part of the spring season is when the flowers start blooming. Here are five books about flowers to enjoy as the weather starts turning warmer. Don't Touch That Flower! By Alice Hemming Illustrated by Nicola Slater Naperville, IL: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky, 2023. Picture book. Squirrel is unsure what the new sounds and sights around him mean, until Bird explains that spring has arrived. When Squirrel finds a new wildflower near his tree, he decides to claim it for himself and tries to protect it. However, Bird has to explain that some of the things Squirrel does to try and help the flower are actually harmful, and sometimes it is best to let the wildflowers grow on their own. Further information about flowers is found in the back. A Season of Flowers By Michael Garland Thomaston, MA: Tilbury House Publishers...

  You Are Here: Connecting Flights Edited by Ellen Oh New York: Allida, 2023. Short stories. 265 pgs.  On a single day in a busy Chicago airport, all of the flights are either delayed or cancelled. 12 different kids, all East or Southeast Asian American, are stuck in Chicago on their way around the world. Some are traveling with family, some are traveling to family, and some are travelling all alone. This book is a short story anthology -- each chapter is its own complete story about a different character. But the stories are all interconnected with characters crossing paths and popping in and out of the main story. Though the journeys of the kids in this book are all unique, they share similar experiences with identity and belonging. Many of the characters face racist, anti-Asian encounters from fellow airport travelers. For kids looking for a sense of belonging, Asian American or not, this book will offer just the nuanced story they crave. The anthology format is perfectly e...

One of my friends once told me that I am an introvert.  That assessment surprised me because I can be rather loud, usually social, and a lover of people.  But giving it some thought, I realized that I do have many introverted traits.  For example, I hate public speaking, I feel really comfortable with people...until I really  don't, and I need a couple of hours a day to decompress by myself.  I think even the most extroverted of us have moments of shyness or need for quiet time by ourselves.  Whether you are a full-blown introvert who needs loads of peace and quiet or swing the extreme opposite and only need the occasional down-time, it's nice to learn more about our quieter friends.   Wallflowers By Mackenzie Joy Harper Collins Publishers, 2023. Picture Book. An anthem for all the wallflowers everywhere!  Some people think wallflowers are shy or scared. Sometimes people act like it's bad to be quiet and think everyone should be loud, but qui...

Squished Written by Megan Wagner Lloyd Illustrated by Michelle Mee Nutter New York, NY : Graphix, an imprint of Scholastic, 2023. Graphic Novel. 243 pgs. Avery is one of seven children in her Korean American family. All she has ever wanted is to have her own room, so she doesn't feel so squished! Avery comes up with a plan to make that happen. But while Avery is putting her plan into action, she is also balancing the other areas of her life, friends, her art work, school, and some unexpected news.  This is such a fun story about a large family and the struggles that come with navigating that dynamic. The author did a great job of showing Avery's unique relationships with each of her siblings. This graphic novel has a strong message of family being constant despite other changes that happen in life.  Squished is perfect for middle grade readers who are fans of graphic novels like Smile and Real Friends .

  Beautiful Day! Written by Rodoula Pappa Illustrated by Seng Soun Ratanavanh  Petaluma, California: Cameron Kids, 2021. Informational.  A picture book of haiku-inspired poems celebrating the four seasons. Sing a Song of Seasons Written by Fiona Waters Illustrated by Frann Preston-Gannon Somerville, Massachusetts: Nosy Crow, an imprint of Candlewick Press, 2018. Informational. 333 pages. Contains 366 nature poems--one for every day of the year. Filled with familiar favorites and new discoveries by a vast array of poets, including Langston Hughes, Lilian Moore, Emily Dickinson, Jack Prelutsky, William Shakespeare, N.M. Bodecker, Kanoko Okamoto, and many more. When Green Becomes Tomatoes Written by Julie Fogliano Illustrated by Julie Morstad New York: Roaring Brook Press, 2016. Informational.  A book of poetry moving through the seasons. Changes By Charlotte Zolotow Illustrated by Tiphanie Beeke Naperville, Illinois: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky, 2015. Informational. 40 pag...

Toddler Time Counting to Bananas   Written by Carrie Tillotson Illustrated by Estrela Lourenço New York : Flamingo Books, 2022. Picture Book. When a narrator starts filling this story with fruit, Banana can't wait to step into the spotlight. The book is called Counting to Bananas , after all. But as more and more fruits (and non-fruits) are added to the story, Banana objects. When will it be time for bananas?! With laugh-out-loud text from debut author Carrie Tillotson and brought to life by illustrator Estrela Louren o this is the story of a banana and narrator who have very strong opinions about what should (and should not!) be in this book.--Publisher Preschool Time Number One Sam By Greg Pizzoli New York : Disney Hyperion Books, 2014. Picture Book. They're off! Sam is the best race-car driver in history -- he is number one at every race! But when his best friend, Maggie, shows that she has racing talent of her own, Sam doesn't know how to handle coming in second place. ...