Provo Library Children's Book Blog

Still Sal By Kevin Henkes New York: Greenwillow Books, 2024. 248 pages. Creative, thoughtful Sal is excited to start first grade. She hopes she will be in Ms. Flowers' class. Ms. Flowers is the new teacher at school. She wears interesting clothing and smells like strawberry jam. But Sal gets Ms. McCormick instead. Ms. McCormick is very practical all around, from her appearance to her classroom assignments and in her way of getting things done. Navigating this deep disappointment, a new haircut, and evolving friendships, Sal wonders which parts of us stay the same and which parts will change as we get older.  Still Sal looks at the little things that feel very big and explores how good and bad are always mixed up together.  Kevin Henkes returns to some ideas from his classic picture book Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse here - what it's like to yearn for a teacher's attention; the ways children can use their external selves to express their inner selves; the pitfalls of snaz...

Like many children who grew up reading Harry Potter in the early 2000s, Hedwig made an indelible impression on my life. In my own humble opinion, owls are one of the most incredible, majestic birds around. They are also incredibly difficult to spot in the wild. So until that time when I manage to to do the impossible and see one in its natural habitat, here are some picture books to help me (and you!) appreciate my feathered friends even more. To See an Owl By Matthew Cordell New York: Random House Studio, 2025. Picture Book. Janie may be a little obsessed with owls. She reads about them, dresses like them, and draws never-ending pictures of them. The problem is that she's never seen one in real life. No matter where she is, day or night, Janie keeps her eyes trained to the sky trying to spot one and she still hasn't had any luck. Her teacher, Mr. Koji, also loves owls and gives her a hint of where she might be able to see some. This book is both a love letter to our avian frie...

Every February during Black History Month, people remember the achievements, stories, and rich culture of black communities across the United States. As before, 2025 will see a new influx of quality picture books crafted by black authors and illustrators. So, here are five titles to start your year off strong, in recognition of these outstanding creators! How Sweet the Sound Written by Kwame Alexander Illustrated by Charly Palmer New York: Little, Brown & Co., 2025. Informational.  How Sweet the Sound is a celebration of black music that bebops its way through landmark styles and musicians, including: Miles Davis, Kendrick Lamar, and Billie Holiday. The lyrical verses interspersed with loud onomatopoeia pops of sound and the acrylic genius of Charly Palmer's illustrations, make this a book   sure to leave its mark of children's literature. An expansive back matter section provides detailed context and history for readers looking for more insight.   When Alexander...

Finding the right book is really the key for everyone. Whether you're looking for a thrilling adventure, a magical fantasy, or a classic tale everyone wants to find the perfect book. To help with the search for a perfectly good book, here is a list of boy books for you to look through.   Not Nothing By Gayle Forman New York: Aladdin Imprint, 2024. Fiction. 280 pages. Twelve-year-old Alex's mom has been missing for almost a year, so Alex has been living with an aunt and uncle. When Alex's anger at his mother's disappearance causes him to act out and do something terrible, he is given a choice to either go to a juvenile detention center or spend the summer working at a retirement home. Alex immediately picks the retirement home. While he is helping at Shady Glen retirement home, Alex becomes friends with Josey, a 107 year-old Polish Holocaust survivor who has stopped talking to anyone and is just waiting to die. One day Josey begins to open up to Alex and shares his story...

Rougarou Magic By Rachel M. Marsh New York: Greenwillow Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, 2024. Fiction. 263 pages. Newly transplanted from the bayous of Louisiana to Boston, Feliciana is desperate to fit in. At her last school, she was bullied because of her accent, called "mud-bug," and even her teachers couldn't pronounce her last name correctly (it's pronounced Fruge like blue-jay, not like fudge). So at her new school, Feliciana is trying to speak as little as possible and hopefully make friends this year. But fitting in becomes hard when Feliciana's grandma sends her a rougarou, a large canine-like magical creature from Cajun folklore. She tries to balance hiding Roux the rougarou from her mom, completing her art piece for a school competition, and dealing with her step-father's blander than bland food, but ultimately she won't be able to keep secrets from everyone. Rougarou Magic  feels a lot like realistic fiction for a book titled aft...

April & Mae and the Tea Party Written by Dowd Lambert Illustrated by Briana Dengoue Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge, 2022. Easy Reader. April and Mae are best friends (and so are their pets). One day angry words are exchanged and they must find a way to apologize and save their friendship. --Publisher Mr. Pumpkin's Tea Party By Erin Barker Cincinnati, OH: Blue Manatee Press, 2019. Picture Book. You are cordially invited to Mr. Pumpkin's tea party--a delightfully quirky twist on a counting book, incorporating gorgeous, deep-hued watercolor illustrations, as well as spooky elements and unique characters at an unexpectedly charming tea party. --Editor Never Trumpet with a Crumpet Written by Amy Gibson Illustrated by Jenn Harney Honesdale, PA: Boyd Mills Press, 2019. Picture Book. In this hilarious, tongue-in-cheek picture book about manners, zoo animals attempt to follow proper etiquette when they are accidentally invited to tea with the queen. Sit up straight. Don't slump. D...

  Preschool Time Super Sloth By Robert Starling London: Andersen Press USA, 2019. Picture Book. Never fear, Super Sloth is here to save the day... eventually! --Editor Preschool Time Smile, Sophia By Skylaar Amann New York: Feiwel & Friends, 2022. Picture Book. Sophia loves finding fossils and digging up dinosaur bones. But she doesn't love the way all the grownups just want her to smile. What does smiling have to do with the very serious business of being a scientist?! --Editor Toddler Time Not All Sheep Are Boring! Written by Bobby Moynihan Illustrated by Julie Rowan-Zoch New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons, 2022. Picture Book. A bedtime book challenging the idea that sheep are boring enough to put you to sleep. --Publisher Book Babies What Do You Want, Little Friend? By Marianne Dubuc Hudson, NY: Princeton Architectural Press, 2021. Board Book. A happy kitten playing with a kite accidentally injures a little bug! The kitten wants to know what will make the little friend feel b...

Cuentos El perro con sombrero Escrito por Derek Taylor Kent Ilustrado por Jed Henry New York: Henry Holt and Company, 2015. Libro ilustrado. "Conozcan a Pepe. Antes de tener un sombrero, era un perro solitario que vivía en la calle. ¡Ahora es una estrella de cine querida por todos! Bueno, todos excepto ... ¡El gato con zapatos! El gato es un gatito engañoso y celoso. ¡Cuidado, Pepe!" --Editor Cuentitos A mover el cuerpo Por Elizabeth Verdick Ilustrado por Marieka Heinlin Minneapolis, MN : Free Spirit Publishing, 2024. Pequeño libro ilustrado. "Quieres reír y ponerte en movimiento? ¡A mover el cuerpo! Este libro ayuda a los niños a descargar energía y a serenarse, en cualquier momento y lugar." --Editor Otros libros sobre la letra "S" ¡No quiero estar en silencio! ¡Sigamos subiendo! El ladrón del sombrero Skeletown: Sí. ¡No! La enorme lista de cosas terroríficas del pequeño Stanley

Reading books can play a significant role in helping children build confidence. They expand the imagination, enhance vocabulary, and encourage problem-solving. When children read stories with characters who overcome challenges, face fears, or accomplish goals, they can relate to those experiences and feel empowered to tackle obstacles in their own lives. Books can also introduce new ideas and perspectives, making children feel more knowledgeable and capable.  The more they read, the more they understand that growth takes time and effort, boosting their self-esteem and belief in their ability to succeed. Here are six books to help your child build confidence.  We Need Everyone Written by Michael Redhead Champagne Illustrated by Tiff Bartel Winnipeg, MB: Highwater Press, 2024. Picture Book.   This is a heartwarming and empowering book that emphasizes how each and every person's unique abilities are essential for building a stronger and more supportive world. Through vibrant...

It Happened in Salem Written by Jonah Winter Illustrated by Brad Holland Mankato, MN: Creative Editions, 2024. Informational. In this look at the Salem Witch Trials, readers are directly addressed as if they might today be participating in something similar to the frantic accusations that spread throughout the Massachusetts town four hundred years ago. The text warns of the dangers of spreading rumors and gossip and looks at how quickly accusations spread throughout the whole of Salem, even coming back to those pointing the finger to begin with. This title will interest readers who like learning about Salem, but would also serve as a discussion opener about gossip, lying, or passing blame for your own actions onto others. The text is simple and straightforward making it all the more impactful. Painted illustrations, with a mix of closeup portraits of the accusers and spreads of execution scenes, are both beautiful and unsettling. Information about the trials and a victim memorial site ...

Oasis By Guojing New York: Henry Holt & Co., 2025. Graphic novel. 112 pages. JieJie and DiDi live in the barren desert surrounding the utopic Oasis City -- which is protected from frequent sandstorms by a geodesic dome. Their mother works in the city, trying her best to save money and bring the siblings to live with her, but in the meantime they are left behind to ration water, save food, and wait for calls from their mother on the payphone. One day, while picking through the trash, they discover the body of a humanoid robot who, after being revived, becomes a perfect robot caregiver.  This graphic novel is spared from feeling too bleak by its emphasis on familial love -- and there's plenty to be found. Though the circumstances that keep JieJie and DiDi from their mother are sad, it is quickly apparent to readers that they are loved -- by their human mother and later by their AI mother also. Relying mostly on soft strokes in neutral tones to evoke the environment overrun by san...

Virginia Wouldn't Slow Down!: The Unstoppable Dr. Apgar and her Life-Saving Invention Written by Carrie A. Pearson Illustrated by Nancy Carpenter New York: Norton Young Readers, 2023. Informational.  Born in 1909, Virginia Apgar wouldn't conform to what girls were expected to do. She was loud, played sports, wore what she wanted, and pursued an atypical career, becoming the second board-certified female anesthesiologist in the United States.  Virginia excelled at her job--she worked hard, was a keen observer and teacher, and she used those skills to create a simple method for quickly evaluating the health of newborn babies that is still in use.  The Apgar Score continues to save infant lives to this day.  Virginia was so fun to learn about.  I love a rebel gal, braving the judgement of a society stuck in its antiquated gender roles.  Virginia had a confidence and competence I envy, and she used both to make a change so epic to health care that it's still th...

I enjoy taking a look at calendars that list fun and quirky holidays. As I was skimming the holidays coming up, I noticed that a super fun holiday had already passed. February 10th was National Umbrella Day! I love the thought of a holiday that features umbrellas. So I'm sharing some books about umbrellas to help celebrate the holiday a week late (and I'll be more prepared for next year!) These books are fun and informative and I loved reading them. The Umbrella By Beth Ferry and Tom Lichtenheld New York: Clarion Books, 2023. Picture Book. This book is so fabulous! I love when the artwork in a book really completes the story. The minimal color used draws your eyes to the brightness of the yellow and lets the reader focus on the umbrellas. It's a cute rhyming book that I think would be so fun to read to kids on a dreary day, and talk about how little actions can have a big impact. And the girl's friendship with her dog also shines through.  Paratou, the Umbrella By Mario...

Danny Constantino's First (and Maybe Last?) Date By Paul Acampora New York: Dial Books for Young Readers, 2020. Fiction. 218 pages. Between going to the middle school dance with his celebrity crush and watching his mom campaign to be the next town mayor, Danny has a lot to learn about life in the spotlight. --Editor Bye Forever, I Guess By Jodi Meadows New York: Holiday House, 2024. Fiction. 284 pages. Eighth-grader Ingrid runs a popular blog anonymously and has online personas more popular than she is, but when a wrong-number text message offers her a chance at connection, Ingrid opens herself to the opportunity to make a real live friend. --Editor Toads & Diamonds By Heather Tomlinson New York: Henry Holt, 2010. Fiction. 278 pages. A retelling of the Perrault fairy tale set in pre-colonial India, in which two stepsisters receive gifts from a goddess and each walks her own path to find her gift's purpose, discovering romance along the way.--Editor That's What Friends D...

  Preschool Time The Book That Almost Rhymed Written by Omar Abed Illustrated by Hatem Aly New York: Dial Books for Young Readers, 2024. Picture Book. A boy begrudgingly composes a sometimes-rhyming adventure with his precocious little sister. --Editor Preschool Time Rory: The Remarkable Dragon By Kathryn Rammell New York: Orchard Books, an imprint of Scholastic Inc., 2024. Picture Book.  Rory enters the Dragon Academy, School for Gifted Dragons, and quickly becomes the most popular dragon there, but he seems very different from the other dragons--for one thing "he" is a "she." --Editor Toddler Time Love, Z By Jessie Sima New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2018. Picture Book. A little robot named Z finds a message in a bottle signed, "Love, Beatrice" and, unable to learn what love is from other robots, sets out on a quest to find the answer. --Editor Book Babies But First, We Nap Written by David Miles Illustrated by Darya Dremova Sang...