Provo Library Children's Book Blog

 If you have young readers who thoroughly enjoy reading books, perhaps they would enjoy reading a book about a book. These are five picture books where a book is either the main character or the main subject matter is the book itself.  The Book From Far Away Written by Bruce Handy  Illustrated by Julie Benbassat  East Rutherford, NJ: Minerva, 2023. Picture Book.  In this wordless story, a young child reads a book when a spaceship comes down to Earth. Aliens have a picnic, but then leave something behind --something that is similar to a book. Readers will enjoy seeing what happens when the child “reads” this new kind of book.  How This Book Got Red  Written by Margaret Chiu Greanias  Illustrated by Melissa Iwai  Naperville, IL: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky, 2023. Picture Book.  In this tale, Red, a red panda, realizes that all the panda books are about black and white pandas. To remedy the situation, Red decides to write her own book about red...

The Lady of Ten Thousand Names: Goddess Stories from Many Cultures Written by Burleigh Muten Illustrated by Helen Cann New York: Barefoot Books, 2001. Informational. 79 pages. These seven tales from around the world explore different types of love, as well as the choices and challenges that people must face in the pursuit of love. --Editor Goddesses & Heroines Written by Jean Menzies Illustrated by Katie Ponder New York: DK Publishing, 2023. Informational. 160 pages. Delve into a world of key female figures from all over the world in this thrilling compendium of goddesses and heroines. With more than 30 stories about goddesses and powerful women, this is a must-have introduction for young readers interested in female figures from different cultures. The enthralling stories introduce famous figures from around the world, while a handy reference section is packed with information about the goddesses and heroines themselves. --Publisher Across the Rainbow Bridge: Stories of Norse Gods...

  Ferris  By Kate DiCamillo  Somerville, Massachusetts: Candlewick Press, 2024. 226 pages.  Ferris Wilkey is doing her best to enjoy the summer before she goes into 5th grade; however, things are a little crazy due to what is happening with all her relatives. Her sister, Pinky, is doing her best to be arrested. Ferris’ grandmother is seeing a ghost and is declining in health. Her uncle has moved into her basement to paint the "great history of the world" and wants Ferris to spy on his wife, her aunt. Ferris’ father is trying to figure out the raccoon problem in their attic. Her mother is on a summer break from teaching school, but has a lot to say about what Farris does or doesn’t do for the summer. And Ferris is trying to stay on top of what everyone needs her to do and the big feelings that come when various things happen.  This is another great DiCamillo book. The characters are memorable, and readers will be delighted and empathetic with what is happening in...

Viewfinder By Christine D.U. Chung and Salwa Majoka Toronto, ON: Tundra Books, 2024. Comics. A lonely young space traveler leaves home in search of a distant planet. When she finally lands on the planet, which looks a lot like Earth, she finds an abandoned civilization. Discovering a time capsule buried at an elementary school, the space traveler uncovers a toy stereoscope that has pictures of the last days on earth and clues to what caused humans to leave Earth behind. As she wanders through the planet she encounters abandoned but familiar places like a museum, a library, and a train station all overtaken with bioluminescent fungi; and slowly animals covered in fungi appear as well. Finally arriving at a child's former treehouse, our traveler views space through a telescope and decides it is time for them to return home. This wordless graphic novel is beautifully illustrated and offers poignant ruminations on a post-apocalyptic world. Somewhat melancholy, this book considers a pop...

Preschool Time Zero Zebras Written by Bruce Goldstone Illustrated by Julien Chung New York: Orchard Books, an imprint of Scholastic. 2022. Picture Book. Bruce Goldstone takes us on a wild animal safari counting one wallaby, two tuna, three thrushes, four frogs--but absolutely zero zebras. Readers will realize the infinite possibilities of counting what is and isn't on the page. -- Publisher Preschool Time Counting to Bananas Written by Carrie Tillotson Illustrated by Estrela Lourenco New York: Flamingo Books, 2022. Picture Book. A banana wants to be the star of this rhyming counting book, but the narrator has other plans. --Editor Toddler Time 10 Dogs By Emily Gravett New York: Boxer Books, 2023. Picture Book. Bursting with energy and fun, young children will love to count the dogs and the sausages, as well as looking out for all the funny details on each page. The book explores numbers one going up to ten, and ten going down to zero, touching on several simple concepts like half, ...

 Art is all around us, bringing us happiness and filling our lives with beauty. Whether you are an artist or a spectator, there is so much to learn about art and the artists behind the work. Here are a few picture books that encourage creativity and appreciation for art. Time to Make Art By Jeff Mack New York: Henry Holt and Company, 2024. Picture Book. A little girl is asking artists from all throughout history about what makes something “art.” Not only is she learning to appreciate art of all different kinds, but she is learning that there is nothing really holding her back from being an artist herself. There is always something to create and there is no exact way to create art. Nature Is an Artist Written by Jennifer Lavallee Illustrated by Natalia Colombo Vancouver; Berkeley; London: Greystone Kids, 2022. Picture Book. Nature is the greatest artist, with all of the beautiful colors, shapes, and creations that come from it. We can also become artists by observing and following n...

  The Enigma Girls By Candace Fleming New York: Scholastic Focus, 2024. Informational. 371 pages. If you have an interest in little known aspects of history or in World War II in particular, this book is for you. The Enigma Girls tells the story of 10 young women who worked at Station X at Bletchley Park in England helping to break ciphers during World War II. Each of the girls grew up in different circumstances, and thus, each worked at in a different part of Station X cracking codes. The reader learns about how Station X worked through the stories of each of the girls. Whether it was transcribing the Morse code messages that the Germans were sending to their armies or decoding, translating, or paraphrasing messages, each girl had a part to play. The stories of the girls are intermixed with plenty of photographs as well as special chapters about how to decode various types of ciphers. Learning about Station X through the eyes of the girls that worked there helps the reader gain a ...

 Spring, with its abundant rain, is the perfect time to talk about ponds and pond life. From the diverse reptiles, fish, and amphibians who live in the water itself to the vast array of birds, insects, and mammals who depend on them, ponds are an ever-changing and interesting ecosystem to observe and study. What is your favorite thing about ponds?  The Noisy Puddle: A Vernal Pool Through the Seasons Written by Linda Booth Sweeney Illustrated by Miki Sato  Toronto: Owlkids Books, 2024. Picture Book. A vernal pool, also known as an ephemeral pond, is a seasonal phenomenon that occurs when rainfall temporarily creates a wetland or pond. This beautifully collaged picture book follows a brother and sister as they observe one such pool through the seasons and how the area and wildlife changes with the weather. The Book of Turtles Written by Sy Montgomery  Illustrated by Matt Patterson New York: Clarion Books, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, 2023. Informational....

The Color of Sound Written by Emily Barth Isler Minneapolis, MN: Carolrhoda Books. 2024. 326 pages. Rosie is a 12-year-old musical prodigy who has a remarkable brain that allows her to remember every piece of music she has ever heard or played. She also has the unique ability to hear sounds and her brain turns all of these sounds into colors that she can see, feel, and taste. This full sensory ability is called synesthesia and sometimes Rosie loves what her brain can do and sometimes she is overwhelmed because she can never get away from all the sounds and colors that surround her constantly. Since she was little Rosie has loved the violin, but lately she feels like she has lost her identity and is only known as "the girl with the violin," so she goes on a music strike. She tells her teachers and her mother that she is not playing the violin anymore. Her mother is very upset with her decision, and so she decides to take Rosie with her to spend the summer at her grandparents h...

Intermediate Mystery books are a gold mine. High-low books refer to titles that are of high interest to readers, but contain low level vocabulary. These titles are clever, action-packed, and have several books in the series to keep the mystery alive. These intermediate mystery books are the first in their series and are sure to appease any mystery loving reader. The Ghost Tree Written by Natasha Deen Illustrated by Lissy Marlin New York: Random House Children's Books, 2022. Intermediate. 95 pages. With a dash of paranormal mixed with mystery, this book introduces Asim, a Guyanese American fourth grader who moves to a new town. After a visit to a graveyard, an evil spirit is unleashed. Asim works with new friends, Rokshar and Max, to save their town. With scarily cool illustrations to accompany this text, this book is great for any amateur sleuths who love a touch of creepy. Detective Duck: The Case of the Strange Splash Written by Henry Winkler and Lin Oliver Illustrated by Dan San...

Camp Shady Crook By Lee Gjertsen Malone New York: Aladdin, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, 2019. Fiction. 279 pages. Budding con artists Archie and Vivien spend a summer at a dilapidated, mismanaged Vermont camp competing to get whatever they want from their fellow campers. --Editor Camp Famous By Jennifer Blecher New York: Greenwillow Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, 2022. Fiction. 261 pages. When eleven-year-old Abby learns she will be attending summer camp, she is excited at the idea of a fresh start, but when she discovers she is going to Camp Famous, a place exclusively for famous kids like pop stars, princesses, and geniuses, her enthusiasm turns to apprehension. --Editor Camp Scare By Delilah S. Dawson New York: Delacorte Press, 2022. Fiction. 276 pages. Bullied and lonely, Parker Nelson is excited to make a new friend at camp, but then bad, unexplainable things start happening to Parker's tormenters, and she soon discovers that her new friend might not be ...

Preschool Time True Colors By Gonçalo Viana Hudson, New York: Princeton Architectural Press, 2021. Picture Book. A green cloud and a white tree? Who is responsible for illustrating this book? True Colors begins innocently with two friends, their dog, and their kite, but each time the story gets started, more colors seem to go awry. The narrator implores the reader to help as townspeople, a group of scientists, and the town tailor all try to determine what is going wrong. As the characters engage in comical attempts to reverse the colors, the two friends show us that colors can do all sorts of amazing tricks--with a little imagination. Gonçalo Viana's bold, retro illustration style brings joy and laughter to all shapes, sizes, and colors. --Editor   Preschool Time Blue Vs. Yellow By Tom Sullivan New York: 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...

Iceberg By Jennifer A. Nielsen New York: Scholastic Press, 2023. Fiction. 339 pages. Hazel Rothbury has to get on the Titanic . Her family's livelihood depends on it. She's going to live with her aunt in New York and start working to send money back to her mother. When she discovers that she doesn't have enough money for a ticket, she sneaks on board and stows away. Hazel has an insatiable curiosity that drives her to pursue her dream of becoming a published writer. She decides the Titanic will be the perfect first story. As she makes friends and researches the ship, she uncovers a mystery and potential crime. Even though she's a young girl, stowing away in a lower cabin, she just might be the one to reveal the truth. I've never read a Titanic story I didn't love, and this book is no exception. I found myself immediately invested in Hazel's story. We know exactly what happened to the Titanic , but what happens to this young, smart girl? As she learns about ...

Summer is coming soon, and it's the perfect time of year to explore! Australia is a continent with amazing oceans, fascinating creatures, and rich traditions to learn about. If you're interested in exploring Down Under, check out these books that will take you there! Wombat Underground Written by Sarah L. Thomson Illustrated by Charles Santoso New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2022. Picture Book. When wildfires rage across Australia, many animals have nowhere to take shelter from the flames. In this time of crisis, Wombat decides to share their carefully dug tunnels with a wallaby, echidna, and skink seeking safety. Information about Australia's annual fire season and the devastating fires in 2019-2020 is included.  A Kunwinjku Counting Book By Gabriel Maralngurra and Felicity Wright Brooklyn: Enchanted Lion Books, 2022. Picture Book.  This counting book teaches young readers about Australian wildlife as they learn the animals' names and how to count to twelve in Kun...