Provo Library Children's Book Blog

  Stories in the Park The Secret Life of a Tiger Written by Przemysław Wechterowicz Illustrated by Emilia Dzuibak Lake Forest, CA: words & pictures, 2017. Picture Book. At night, Tiger's strange and heartwarming hobbies come to light. --Editor Stories in the Park Run! By Guilherme Karsten Berkeley, CA: Owlkids Books, 2022. Picture Book. Run! is an easy-to-follow yet joyfully tricky story for preschool to grade-two readers, with language arts, reading, counting, and character education curriculum tie-ins. It offers ample opportunity for interaction in spotting visual cues in a light and humorous mystery and in naming animals and their wacky hiding technics throughout a jungle game of hide-and-seek--all the while subverting expectations and imparting the valuable lesson that things are not always what they seem. In the dark depths of the jungle, something is on the hunt and all of the animals have to RUN! One by one, as fast as they can, they look high and low among the vines and

Amulet is a beloved comic book that captures readers with the non-stop adventures and keeps them with the world-building. The magic and terrifying monsters are some of the biggest allures. If you have a fan of the Amulet series, here are a few books with similar pacing and adventure. The Secret of the Ravens Written by Joanna Cacao Illustrated by Kyla Aiko New York: Clarion Books, Harper Alley, imprints of HarperCollinsPunlishers, 2023. Comics. 254 pages. Elliot and Liza are twins experiencing homelessness. They decide to participate in the raven games, which promise wealth and magic at their disposal. But a quest goes horribly wrong and Liza is poisoned. Now Elliot must do whatever it takes to find the antidote. Wingbearer Written by Marjorie m. Liu Illustrated by Teny Issakhanian New York: Quill Tree Books, HarperAlley, Imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, 2022. Comics. 201 pages. Zuli was raised by mystical bird spirits and has never left her safe home until a dark force threatens th

The Iguanodon's Horn By Sean Rubin New York: Clarion Books, 2024. Informational. 48 pgs. When the first mysterious bone of the iguanodon dinosaur was discovered in 1822, scientists believed it was the horn of the dinosaur...but they were completely wrong. This book follows the path of discovery towards a more accurate image of the iguanodon, exploring the thought processes of the past artists and scientists that created unintentionally inaccurate images of the creature. While today we think we know what the iguanodon might have looked like, the book is quick to emphasize how much we still don't know about these and other dinosaurs.  The text amuses as it informs, including via commentary from the iguanodon itself, who is disappointed at how it is drawn for decades after its discovery. Readers of all ages will be enchanted by the rich illustrations, filled to the brim with extra facts, historical references, and comedic asides that provide plenty to pore over. A delightful intro

Today we are celebrating Juneteenth, a holiday to celebrate the end of slavery in the United States. On this day in 1865, troops arrived in Galveston, Texas to ensure that all enslaved people in the state be freed. As we celebrate this holiday, here are some great biographies of important leaders from Black History to read and talk about with your family! Fighting with Love: The Legacy of John Lewis Written by Lesa Cline-Ransome Illustrated by James Ransome New York: Simon & Schuster, 2024. Biography. For older children, this picture book biography serves as an inspirational introduction to the mighty civil rights leader John Lewis. Growing up in a sharecropper family in rural Alabama, John Lewis learned early that people were not always treated equally or fairly. John craved education and left home at 17 to learn practices of nonviolent resistance and became instrumental in the fight for civil rights. He led sit-ins; he rode buses with the Freedom Riders; he spoke at the March on

Fishing in Fire By Trent Reedy New York: Norton Young Readers, 2023. Fiction. 198 pages. When two groups of middle school friends that have bad blood wind up fishing in the same spot, no one is happy. But things go from antagonistic to life-threatening when multiple wild fires block their path to safety.  Can the two groups put aside their differences to survive?  Although this story starts as a slow burn (pun very much intended), once the wildfires start spreading it becomes non-stop action and anxiety-inducing danger.  It was really easy to envision myself in the same situation, which just made it all the scarier.  I love the enemies to friends plot and the grit and bravery exhibited by all the characters.  Fans of Gary Paulsen will gobble this right up.  Read as part of a series or as a stand alone. 

The summer solstice is quickly approaching. For many people, this signals the “true” start of summer! There are a wide variety of adventures that people like to put on their summer bucket lists. The following books may help inspire you to try something new this summer, remind yourself why you keep going back to tried-and-true favorites, or possibly resonate with you if summer is not your favorite season.  Gather Round By David Covell  New York: Viking, 2024. Picture Book.   Going camping and sitting around a campfire is not only warming to the body, but also creates a certain amount of comfort for the soul. This picture book includes beautiful depictions of animals and people feeling welcome. A beautiful book with elements of nature, community, and friendship that will make you grateful that summer camping trips exist.   On Your Mark, Get Set, Gold: An Irreverent Guide to the Sports of the Summer Games   By Scott Allen  Massachusetts: Nosy Crow, an imprint of Candlewick Press, 2020. In

Stories in the Park Milo Is Missing Something By Vern Kousky New York: Random House Studio, 2021. Picture Book.  A small yellow octopus hatches from his egg and begins searching for something he is certain he is missing on an undersea adventure that leads to new friendships along the coast, an exploration of a sunken shipwreck and the discovery of a loving family. --Publisher Stories in the Park Stick and Stone Written by Beth Perry Illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2015. Picture Book. Stick and Stone are both lonely until Pinecone's teasing causes one to stick up for the other, and a solid friendship is formed. --Editor Canopy Capers and Summer Story Time The Fort Written by Laura Perdew Illustrated by Adelina Lirius Salem, MA: Page Street Kids, 2020. Picture Book.  A prince planning a feast in his castle and a pirate preparing her ship for a treasure hunt clash after learning they share a fort, but soon imagine a new adventure for two. --Editor Can

There were a lot of great picture books that were published last year that are great ones for girls to read. Here are some of my new favorites. Happy Reading!  Big  By Vashti Harrison  New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2023. Picture Book.  A young girl was once praised for being a big baby and a big girl…only eventually the word “big” doesn’t seem so good after all. This story takes the young protagonist on a journey of self-discovery and realization as to what words are good, strong, and powerful and what words will need to be disregarded.  I Am a Meadow Mermaid  Written by Kallie George  Illustrated by Elly MacKay  Toronto: Tundra Books, 2023. Picture Book.  A young girl dreams of adventure and being a mermaid…but she lives in the middle of a prairie with no sign of the ocean. Instead of being glum, she pretends that there are “waves” in the crops and that the “ocean” are the fields. This tale is all about imagination, friendship, and making the best of dreams no matter what the c

  And Then, Boom! By Lisa Fipps New York: Nancy Paulsen Books, 2024. Fiction. 244 pages. In this novel-in-verse, Joe Oak knows he's not a superhero (even if he has flown once.) Instead the "BOOMS" in his life are when unexpected and difficult things happen that blow up his life. The first difficulty begins when his mom takes off, first for days, then weeks, then months. Then when she skips out on a court hearing Grandmum and Joe end up homeless since Grandmum had used their house as collateral to pay her bail money. The "BOOMS" keep coming throughout the book, which includes difficult topics like death and grieving, homelessness and food insecurity, and abandonment. Although this book won't be for everyone, those who are ready to take on these sensitive topics will find a beautifully written story of how others' actions can impact those around them, both for the good and the bad, and surviving in the face of great adversity.

 I think we all can relate to pouring over the pages of our favorite picture books as children, searching out the tiniest details. Maybe you created your own objects to seek out within the illustrations, or maybe you thoroughly enjoyed being given clues and prompts? Either way these picture puzzles can provide endless hours of fascination. Here are some new suggestions to continue the fun of this classic children's genre! Come Out, Come Out, Chameleon! By Jonty Howley Beverly, MA: Happy Yak, an imprint of The Quarto Group, 2024. Picture Book.  Set in a clever story format designed for younger readers, Come Out, Come Out, Chameleon! is the perfect introduction to the seek-and-find genre as you help a slightly clueless old man search for his pet chameleon. An exasperated dog sidekick and a visual surprise at the end will have your little readers laughing out loud for more! Where's Waldo: The Great Games Speed Search By Martin Handford Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press, 2024. Pict

  Olivetti By Allie Millington New York: Feiwel and Friends. 2024. 249 pages. A typewriter's life is not always as easy as it looks. Sure it sits on a desk a lot of the time and it appears to be doing nothing but the stories that have been typed from their keys are important and inspiring. A typewriter's job is to keep memories alive and Olivetti just happens to be such a typewriter who sits on the desk of Beatrice Brindle. He can remember everything that was typed on him and he feels strongly that "memories are like heartbeats. They keep things alive. They make us who we are."  Olivetti and young Ernest Brindle, who is a quiet, shy boy who loves reading the Oxford English Dictionary, work together to tell their story. In alternating narration, Olivetti and Ernest try to solve the mysterious disappearance of Beatrice, Ernest's mother and Olivetti's owner.  Ernest feels like it's his fault that his mother disappeared and he makes it his quest to find her. A

Growing up, I only really went to sleepaway summer camp one time and I didn't really like it. The food was weird, I missed my family, there were bugs, etc. But that didn't stop me from wanting to go to summer camp -- the movies always made it look so fun! If you've ever had the same problem, here are some great summer camp stories that may or not be better than the real thing. Summer at Squee By Andrea Wang New York: Kokila, 2024. Fiction. 308 pages. Phoenny Fang looks forward to Squee, a Chinese heritage summer camp, all year long. But this year, everything is different. There's a group of new girls her age, which means that her squad is split up -- and none of the new girls even seem to want to be there! Things only get worse when Phee finds herself competing against one of the new girls for the attention of a cute boy. This middle grade novel is a cute summer story of friendship, first crushes, and growing up. This book dives into the complicated feelings Asian Ameri

The Monster and the Maze (Monkey King and the World of Myths #1) By Maple Lam New York: Putnam, 2024. Comics. 232 pages.  From the moment he was born -- by bursting from a rock atop Flowers and Fruit Mountain -- Sun Wukong was destined for greatness. Feeling like an outcast with the other monkeys, he travels to the world of humans where he is still an outcast. Desperate to rise above his station, Sun Wukong, the Monkey King, sneaks into the heavenly kingdom of the gods and makes a deal to become a god himself. To reach godhood, the Monkey King must become a monster hunter and complete his missions. His first mission takes him to ancient Greece where he must face down the Minotaur and save the people of Athens. Of course, by now, Sun Wukong knows that things are not always what they seem --he'll have to work to defeat the true monster. This graphic novel, hopefully the first in a series, is perfect worlds colliding adventure story. Both a remix of the classic Chinese novel Journey t

  Stories in the Park Dear Polar Bears Written by Gabrielle Prendergast Illustrated by Marcus Cutler Victoria, British Columbia: Orca Book Publishers, 2023. Picture Book. The penguins of Antarctica are writing to invite the polar bears of the Arctic to a party at the South Pole in this humorous picture book. --Publisher Stories in the Park Penguin Huddle Written by Ross Montgomery Illustrated by Sarah Warburton Somerville, MA: Walker Books, 2023. Picture Book. The penguin pack plays all day long. And when the sun goes down and the night grows cold and dark--PEGUIN HUDDLE! But one night there is a freezing gale. And the next morning the penguins are stuck, frozen together like a giant penguin ice pop. What a penguin muddle! How will they get unstuck? --Publisher Canopy Capers and Summer Story Time Programmed to Paint By Mauricio Abril New York: Penguin Workshop, 2024. Picture Book. Join Pintro the robot's journey as he learns how to create art! Pintro is a robot who is practically p