Provo Library Children's Book Blog

  All the Animals Were Sleeping  Written by Clare Helen Welsh  Illustrated by Jenny Løvlie  Lincoln, MA: Nosy Crow Inc., 2024. Picture Book.  In this lovely picture book, a little mongoose goes out for a walk. He goes through the grassy plains of the Serengeti and finds many sleeping animals: giraffes, zebras, butterflies, monkeys, elephants, storks, and a monitor lizard. Only when the mongoose comes across some sleeping cheetahs, who still have twitching tails, does he decide to race on home.  This is a peaceful picture book with beautiful illustrations of animals sleeping in various places in the Serengeti. Young readers will love to see some favorite animals and hope that the little mongoose will race quickly back home before the cheetahs stir. This would be a good read-aloud for kids who love animals and are getting ready for their own sleepy time.

  The Search for Vile Things By Jane Hammerslough New York: Scholastic Inc., 2008. Informational. 80 pages. Ephemra Churlyshe, her nephew Maldred, wee niece Nettle, creepily quiet cousin Rune, & accident-prone Tode take you on quest to the East Indies in this "encyclopedia" filled with exotic and fascinating "curiosities," including animals, plants, insects, strange customs, odd history, geology, climate, diseases, and ancient artifacts. --Editor Haunted Objects Around the World  By Megan Cooley Peterson North Mankato, MN: Capstone Press, 2017. Informational. 32 pages. Sometimes ghosts stay behind to haunt the places they once lived. Other times, they take up residence in an object. Prepare to be scared as you read about demon-possessed dolls, cursed boxes, and enchanted works of art. --Editor Coolest Collections By Kaitlyn Duling United States: Rourke Educational Media, 2022. Informational. 48 pages. Collections connect us - to the past, within the present, and...

  Preschool Time My Dog and I Written by Luca Tortolini Illustrated by Felicita Sala Varennes, Quebec, Canada: Milky Way Picture Books, 2023. Picture Book. Out for a walk one day, a girl stumbles upon a lost "dog." Having always wanted a dog of her own, she brings the "little" creature home and takes care of it in secret, hiding it from her parents. Proud of her new "dog," she plays with it, feeds it, and even takes it around town-much to the chagrin of the townspeople and other kids who have been mean to her in the past. But one day, when her "little" friend gets the urge to chase something and ends up wandering off, she finds herself with too much sadness to bear. Will she ever find her "dog" again? --Publisher Preschool Time Where Is the Dragon? By Leo Timmers Wellington, NZ: Gecko Press, 2021. Picture Book. In the middle of the night, three knights go in search of a dragon. But in the dark nothing is what it seems. --Publisher Toddl...

Did you love reading Ella Enchanted ? Are you obsessed with Peter and the Starcatchers ? Sometimes it's fun to read a twist on a classic tale. Whether it's someone from today jumping into a familiar tale, or characters from fairy tales making different choices then the ones you'd expect, fractured fairy tales are a delight! So here are some middle grade fractured fairy tales to try out! Princess Protection Program By Alex London New York: Greenwillow Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, 2024. Fiction. 212 pages. When she's woken by a kiss from a prince she's never met and definitely doesn't want to spend forever with, Rosamund (Sleeping Beauty) flees her tale. When Rosamund arrives at Orphans' Home Educational Academy, or HEA, with no idea how she got there, the headmistress invites her to stay with the other wayward fairy tale characters who have also escaped their endings. But as they venture out into today's modern world, it appears that th...

  Henry and the Something New Written by Jenn Bailey Illustrated by Mika Song San Francisco, CA: Chronicle Books, 2024. Easy Reader. 48 pages. Henry is back with new challenges to face in this second installment of Jenn Bailey's beginning chapter book series featuring a main character on the autism spectrum. This time Henry's class is headed to the museum, everyone is really excited, but Henry is not-so-sure. He knows he'll face differences in his routine, however his love of dinosaurs motivates him to try something new. Will he be able to find his beloved dinosaurs amidst all the changes and experiences he'll encounter in a new place? Will it be worth it? Come along, and find out! A gentle story about trying new things in the face of adversity, Henry and the Something New , deals compassionately with some of the unique challenges faced by those on the autism spectrum. Relatable scenarios and characters make this a book a win for all --whether you are personally on the ...

It's that time of year when the weather is getting colder, the leaves are changing colors, and I'm in the mood to read a good spine-tingling Halloween book. If you're like me and enjoy reading a good horror book this time of the year, here is a list of books about nightmares that will set your heart pounding with fear.  Nightmare in the Backyard By Jeff Strang Naperville, IL: Sourcebooks Young Readers, 2024. Fiction. 212 pages. What if your worst nightmare became a reality? Chloe and her best friend Avery are excited for their backyard campout. They have plans to stay up all night roasting marshmallows and telling ghost stories, but things that night don't go according to plan. When tentacles begin to emerge from the ground and start causing chaos the girls realize they must fight back. But as the fight goes on they discover that they may be fighting a bigger battle than they realized.  This is a short, fast-paced, action-packed monster book that is perfect for readers ...

Carina Felina Written by Carmen Agra Deedy Illustrated by Henry Cole New York: Scholastic Press, 2023. Picture Book. This larger-than-life tale starts when a parrot, Pepe, falls in love with Carina Felina. Carina, unfortunately for Pepe, is a ravenous cat and she is on an eating spree. Carina eats anyone who disagrees with her and to anyone who tries to dissuade her she responds, "My name is Carina Felina, I take what I want and I eat what I wish. Now step out of my way or be my next dish!" Luckily, two little crabs have a plan to free the town from Carina's stomach. This is one of my favorite books to read aloud to kids because it's so outlandish. The rhyme is easy to pick up and every time she eats someone, the book cumulatively narrates everyone who she's eaten before, similar to "This is the House that Jack Built." I also love how Deedy emphasizes the setting in Cuba by introducing Spanish words to describe the people who are being eaten. The words a...

  Grumpy Hat   By Nicola Kent London: Andersen Press USA, 2024. Picture Book. Everyone knows that little sisters can be an-noy-ing! So when Ravi gets annoyed with Ruby and breaks her toy car in a rage, everyone goes to bed upset. Ravi wakes up the next morning with a bright red grumpy hat stuck fast on his head! And he can't get rid of it, no matter how hard he tries... Ravi learns how to swap his grumpy hat for happy socks in this uplifting story about siblings, family life and controlling bad moods. --Publisher The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins Written and Illustrated by Dr. Seuss New York: Random House, 1938. Picture Book. Each time Bartholomew Cubbins attempts to obey the King's order to take off his hat, he finds there is another one on his head. --Editor A Hat Full of Sea Written by Maudie Smith Illustrated by Jen Khatun Lerner Publishing Group, Inc., 2024. Picture Book. How do you cheer someone up when they're stuck in a boring old hospital bed? Cora is determined ...

  Preschool Time The Creature of Habit Written by Jennifer E. Smith Illustrated by Leo Espinosa New York: Random House Studio, 2021. Picture Book. On the island of Habit lives a very big creature who does the exact same things in the exact same order every day, but when a small creature comes along who wants to do something different every day, the creature of Habit must learn to adapt. --Editor Preschool Time This Book Is Definitely Not Cursed Written by Megan Woodward Illustrated by Risa Rodil New York: Aladdin, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Division, 2024. Picture Book. A humorous picture book that curses those who read it, then guides readers through the steps to break the curse. --Publisher Toddler Time My Cat Looks Like My Dad By Thao Lam Berkeley, CA: Owlkids Books, 2019. Picture Book.  A narrator describes all the ways in which her cat and father are--or are not--alike. They both love milk (we see them with milk mustaches) and sardines (ew!)....

If you're one of the many Star Wars fans, these books will immerse you into a galaxy far, far, away. Have your questions answered and bring a little bit from these exciting other worlds to your home. A Jedi You Will Be Written by Preeti Chhibber Illustrated by Mike Deas Los Angeles: Disney, Lucas Press, 2020. Imagine you arrived on Dagobah just as Luke does. You meet Yoda and follow along with Luke's Jedi training, learning from the Jedi master's wisdom. This picture book takes you on an adventure to participate in Yoda's training. The Star Wars Book of Monsters, Ooze, and Slime By Katie Cook New York: DK Publishing, 2021. Informational. 94 pages. This book answers the grossest and weirdest question about the world of Star Wars. What is the smelliest thing in the galaxy? Does Jabba ever take a bath? Answers to these and more can be found in this silly book. The Super Cool Science of Star Wars By Mark Brake New York: Sky Pony Express, 2020. Informational. 127 pages. Have...

Little Shrew By Akiko Miyakoshi Toronto: Kids Can Press, 2024. Intermediate. 70 pages. Little Shrew's life is simple and structured. Every day he eats the same meal for breakfast, he goes to work at the same time, and he goes to the same bakery on his way home. The three chapters explore Little Shrew's daily routine, how he acquires a TV for his home that makes him dream of faraway places, and a yearly visit with some of his friends. The numerous, soft illustrations show the little animal as he navigates a much larger human-sized world. This endearing slice-of-life chapter book will appeal to readers that like slower stories. Little Shrew's life is not flashy or exciting, but he does show how to be satisfied with life's simple moments. Fans of animal books like Frog and Toad may find this a good transitional book if they aren't ready for longer books yet. A great choice for readers learning to love the quiet of the quotidian. 

Three Summers: A Memoir of Sisterhood, Summer Crushes, and Growing Up on the Eve of the Bosnian Genocide By Amra Sabic-El-Rayess and Laura L. Sullivan New York: Farrar Starus Giroux, 2024. Biography. 346 pages. In 1980s Bosnia, eleven-year-old Amra loses her beloved older brother to complications from Marfan syndrome. Devastated by the death of her brother, Amra retreats into her own grief until her mother decides to invite Amra's older cousin Zana and her sister to stay. Zana is just what Amra needed -- a cousin like a sister who will show Amra the ins and outs of becoming a teenager. Over the summer, and the two summers that follow, the girls navigate first crushes, boy troubles, heartbreak, and fashion disasters together. But all along, tension is building in the background as political unrest foments in the country. Amra and her family, who are Bosnian Muslims, called Bosniaks, begin to feel the building prejudices against them as anti-Muslim sentiments become widely known. Thi...

My Antarctica: True Adventures in the Land of Mummified Seals, Space Robots, and so Much More Written by Greg Neri Illustrated by Corban Wilkin Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press, 2024. Informational. 92 pages. Since childhood, author Greg Neri wanted to be an explorer and finally, miraculously, he was invited to Antarctica, the land of extremes. Neri shares his discoveries with readers back home --penguins, blood falls, mummified seals and more!  Readers learn about the research base on Antarctica and all the people who live and work there.  A mixture of photography and illustrations entertains from the first page to the last. This book is a high interest, easy to read informational book about the wild and inhospitable land of Antarctica.  I loved the author's obvious enthusiasm and joy exploring and learning about Antarctica and his excitement in sharing his experience with readers.  I have never wanted to visit Antarctica, but Neri's excitement is contagious and mad...

Growing up I didn’t have any cats. I heard so many people say how they didn’t like cats, and just adopted that as my reality. Then, about 10 years ago, three little abandoned kittens wandered into our yard, and my life was forever changed!  Whether you view cats as naughty pests (like many people do), you can’t live without them (my daughter and I), or you are somewhere in between, these five books feature cats and kittens as main characters, and I hope you find them appealing. Animals have a special way of healing hearts and minds, and I can’t imagine my world without cats in it.  This Little Kitty in the Garden  By Karen Obuhanych  New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2024. Picture Book.  This rhyming book has vibrant illustrations and a variety of kitten colors. Seeing the eye-catching cover made me instantly think of the sweet kittens that adopted us. The kittens in this book want to help in the garden. And they are SO helpful! They spend a busy day on a variety of ta...

La verdad sobre el sofá Escrito por Adam Rubin Ilustrado por Liniers New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons, 2024. Libro ilustrado. "La mayoría de la gente piensa que los sofás son solo para sentarse o quizás para echar una siesta, pero ... ¿Sabías que los sofás pueden volverse locos si no los alimentas con una dieta equilibrada a base de monedas, teléfonos celulares y controles remoto? ¿Sabías, además, que algunos sofás se cultivan en granjas? Algunos vienen de dos sillas que se quieren mucho y otros, en realidad, son extraterrestres disfrazados. ¡Tienes tanto que aprender sobre el sofá! Esta parodia de complots reúne el humor característico de Adam Rubin y el arte divertido de Liniers. Juntos exploran la única y verdadera historia (¿en serio? ¿Estamos seguros?) del mueble más querido e incomprendido del mundo." --Editor El ataque del dragón en calzoncillos Escrito por Scott Rothman Ilustrado por Pete Oswald Barcelona: Serres, 2022. Libro ilustrado. "¿Como se las apañará el ...