Provo Library Children's Book Blog

I love picture books and short informational books so much! I always appreciate when a beautiful story can be told in a very succinct manner. I enjoy recommending picture books and shorter informational books to anyone and everyone. Even if it's a topic a person doesn't think they are interested in, it's easy to say, "Oh, here, read this. It's just a quick read!" Sometimes people learn they are more interested in a topic than they realized. A topic almost everyone loves is animals. Recently, I have read an abundance of animal stories. Here are five of  my favorites, and I hope you enjoy them as well. Springtime Storks Written by Carol Joy Munro Illustrated by Chelsea O'Byrne Westminster, MD: Minerva, an imprint of Astra Books for Young Readers, 2024. Picture Book. This story is one of my favorite picture books I have read this year, and it completely drew me in. It is told from the perspective of a female stork, Katerina, who is shot down while flying. A k...

  Cuentos Quizás algo hermoso Escrito por F. Isabel Campoy y Theresa Howell Ilustrado por Rafael López Boston ; New York : Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2018. Libro ilustrado. "Viendo lo que Mira y sus vecinos descubren, ¡más de lo que nunca pudo imaginarse! Basado en una historia real, "Quizás algo hermoso" nos revela cómo el arte puede inspirar la transformación -- y cómo incluso la más pequeña artista puede llegar a conseguir algo grande. ¡Toma un pincel y únete a la celebración!" --Editor Cuentitos ¿Dónde estás, Cerdito? Por Margarita Del Mazo y Laure du Fay Madrid, Spain: NubeOcho, 2021. Pequeño libro ilustrado. "¿Alguien ve un cerdito por aquí? ¡Shhh! Creo que está en el árbol ..." --Editor

  Stories in the Park I Worked Hard on That! Written by Robyn Wall Illustrated by A.N. Kang New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2024. Picture Book. An art-loving spider learns about the joys and challenges of creativity. --Publisher Stories in the Park Beautiful Hands Written by Kathryn Otoshi Illustrated by Bret Baumgarten Novato, CA: Blue Dot Press, 2015. Picture Book. Little hands can do so many wonderful things: plant ideas; lift spirits; stretch imaginations. This colorful concept book rouses children to use their hands for the good and reach for their dreams. --Publisher Canopy Capers A Little Like Magic By Sarah Kurpiel New York: Rocky Pond Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC, 2024. Picture Book.  Our young narrator doesn't like itchy hats or cold wind, and she especially doesn't like going places she's never been before. But she reluctantly agrees to join her mom at an ice festival, where they watch sculptors chisel and drill until it...

There are few things in this world that compare to fresh fruits and vegetables from your very own garden. The sweetness of corn and peas are second to none, and apples from the backyard orchard take crisp and juicy to a whole new level. Whether your family has been gardening for years or is just starting out, here are a few books that will help young readers cultivate an interest in where their food comes from and develop a stronger connection with the earth. My First Outdoor Garden By Philippe Asseray New York: Sky Pony Press, 2022. Informational. 63 pages. This is a great resource for first time gardeners. It includes step by step instructions for making a simple box garden with a trellis. There are pages that discuss soil, seeds, watering, cuttings, and other topics necessary to set you up for success. I found the calendar at the end of the book particularly helpful. It shows which month of the year to plant specific vegetables and flowers.  We Garden Together! By Jane Hirschi N...

Maybe it's because I grew up in Utah -- land of summer Rodeos and Pioneer Day -- but July is a time where I always think a lot about pioneers, homesteaders, cowboys, and westward expansion. Growing up, I loved hearing pioneer stories but as I've grown older, I've wondered about how different groups of people experienced this time period. This list of western and frontier stories have a different perspective than most books I grew up with -- and are all super entertaining reads. One Big Open Sky By Lesa Cline-Ransome New York: Holiday House, 2024. Fiction. 296 pages. In 1879, Lettie Grier's father decides that their family will travel by covered wagon from Natchez, Mississippi to Nebraska to homestead and seek opportunities not offered to Black people in their home. Lettie's mother Sylvia is reluctant to leave, but her father is determined. When the Black families are left behind by steamships taking wagons up the Mississippi river, they band together to form a trave...

  Dive!: The Story of Breathing Underwater By Chris Gall New York: Roaring Brook Press, 2024. Informational.  How do you breathe underwater?  Well, it depends on what year you were attempting it! Follow the history of the tools people have created throughout time to delve into the depths of the ocean and discover its secrets.  If you aren't scared of underwater exploration, you might be after this book!  Some of the early methods people used to breathe underwater were terrifyingly dangerous--I truly couldn't believe the bravery/fooldhardiness of some of the creators and testers of these underwater tools.  Sure to be a hit with STEM adventurers!

Big Bertha Written by Amanda Abler Illustrated by Katy Wu Seattle, WA: Little Bigfoot, an imprint of Sasquatch Books, 2024. Informational.  Bertha, the 57.5 foot tall tunnel boring machine that dug a highway under Seattle, was a feat of science and engineering.  While she wasn't without her issues, Bertha's first of her kind abilities made it possible to create a safe highway system underground that could stand up to future earthquakes.   I love anthropomorphized objects, and Bertha is the beast of the ball in this quick informational book. I've also driven in Bertha's tunnels, but before I knew that remarkable story of how those tunnels came to be.  Now that I've got the dirt (tunnel pun intended!) on Bertha and the hundreds of people that worked tirelessly to make their city more safe, I can't wait to go back and appreciate their work in person.  Sure to inspire future engineers!

En Guard! I'm a big fan of fantasy, which means that I tend to admire characters who can wield a sword. However, lunges, parries, and ripostes are not just for medieval combat, they're also terms used in modern fencing. Fencing can be a fun sport to increase your dexterity and precision, and it's pretty fun to watch. If you also think fencing is interesting, here's four books highlighting this cool sport. It's All or Nothing, Vale By Andrea Beatriz Arango New York: Random House Children's Books, 2025. Fiction. 252 pages. Vale loves fencing, but after a car accident leaves her injured, she has to heal from her injuries while getting back in shape to fence competatively. However, her determination to return to her former capabilities leaves her in pain and frustrated with her friends. A newcomer to the team who performs better than Vale also adds tension, especially as Vale finds herself with a bit of a crush on this teammate. This novel in verse explores Vale com...

  Garvey in the Dark By Nikki Grimes New York: Wordsong, an imprint of Astra Books for Young Readers, 2022. Fiction. 170 pages. Capturing the shock and reverberations of the COVID-19 pandemic through poetry, as Garvey's life goes into lockdown and his father becomes sick, Garvey must find a way to use his newfound musical skills to bring hope to both his father and himself. --Editor A Walk in the Woods Written by Nikki Grimes Illustrated by Brian and Jerry Pinkney New York : Holiday House, 2023. Picture Book. A grieving son follows a treasure map his late father left him through the woods they used to explore together. --Editor Garvey's Choice By Nikki Grimes Honesdale, PA: Wordsong, an imprint of Highlights, 2016. Fiction. 108 pages. Garvey's father has always wanted Garvey to be athletic, but Garvey is interested in astronomy, science fiction, reading--anything but sports. Feeling like a failure, he comforts himself with food. Garvey is kind, funny, smart, a loyal friend,...

  Cuentos Pinkalicious Por Victoria Kann y Elizabeth Kann New York: Rayo, una rama de HarperCollinsPublishers, 2011. Libro ilustrado. "Una niña obsesionada con el color de rosa se come tantos pastelitos rosados que ella misma se vuelve rosada." --Editor Cuentitos Elena monta en bici Por Juana Medina Somerville, Massachusetts: Candlewick Press, 2023. Fácil. "Elena quiere montar en bici. Empieza a monter, empieza a rodar. Ella se mece y se bambolea ¡Cataplam! Elena, aprender a montar en bici es difícil. Pero tú puedes lograrlo. ¡Inténtalo, inténtalo de nuevo!"--Editor

  Stories in the Park Nature Is an Artist Written by Jennifer Lavallee Illustrated by Natalia Colombo Vancouver; Berkeley; London: Greystone Kids, 2022. Picture Book. A celebration of creativity and a child's ability to observe, this playful picture book explores different art forms to be found in the natural world. A group of children follow Nature--the most inspiring of teachers--as they explore a series of colorful landscapes to discover the world's greatest art show hidden in plain sight. Along the way, these young artists create their own fine works of art--from fingerprint bumblebees to sand sculptures and charming paper collages. This story honors the beauty and variety of Nature's art with gentle rhythms and pleasing alliterative language, while instilling confidence in young readers to see themselves as skilled artists too. --Publisher Stories in the Park A Rainbow in Brown By Pavonis Giron New York: Henry Holt and Company, 2024. Picture Book. Jo wants to paint all...

The Baby Who Stayed Awake Forever By Sandra Salsbury New York: Doubleday Books for Young Readers, 2025. Picture Book. This story is about the indomitable spirit of a baby who will not sleep. It defies logic! And yet it is all too familiar. Dynamic page spreads show the night slowly creeping by, filled with a baby's adorably aggravating bedtime hobbies (spitting out each of her seventeen pacifiers; singing the song of her people for the downstairs neighbor). Spoiler alert: the title is accurate. Sandra Salsbury got the tone just right. The baby's loving family is too exhausted to be amused, so we get to be amused for them. My two-year-old cracked up at the onomatopeia. We imitated the baby's midnight dance moves. When we closed the book my preschooler said, "Heh. Babies are funny." True! This would be a fun (and validating) gift for new siblings or new parents. 

  Orris and Timble: Lost and Found Written by Kate DiCamillo Illustrated by Carmen Mok Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press, 2025. Intermediate. 66 pages. Orris and Timble are friends. Every night, Timble, the owl, comes to visit Orris, the rat, in the barn where he lives. Orris then tells Timble a story from one of the many books that have been abandoned in his home. Night after night, the rat weaves magical tales for the young owl until one day the owl is not so little anymore. Then, one evening Timble doesn't come, nor the evening after. Orris begins to worry that Timble has forgotten him. Is their friendship over? Though the text in this book is sparse, the emotional gravity that DiCamillo is able to imbue in her words is wonderous. The story is gently complimented by the soft and spare drawings of Mok, really giving young readers the ability to deeply empathize with the plight of the old rat. Lost and Found is perfect for 7 through 9-year-olds who love tales of friendship. Be sur...

Growing Home Written by Beth Ferry Illustrated by The Fan Brothers New York : Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2025. Fiction. 261 pages. This book has some entertaining characters! We get to read about Toasty, the goldfish who loves to eat cheese puffs, Ivy, a plant with magical powers, and Arthur, the spider who ends up with a broken leg. Jillian is the main human character in the book. She loves Toasty and Ivy, and would probably love Arthur, too, but she doesn't know about him....yet. Her parents own an antique shop, but they are facing some economic hardship.  This charming story is about magic, teamwork, and friendship. I loved that there were all kinds of shenanigans happening. While we are on a journey where the fish, the plant, the spider, and the girl are working to solve one mystery after another, the author beautifully guides us to the realization that words are powerful, friendships can heal hearts, and books have their own magic power to help in all kinds ...

  The Glass Pyramid Written by Jeanne Walker Harvey Illustrated by Khoa Le New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2025. Biography. Despite discrimination and other challenges, architect I.M. Pei works on a secret mission to redesign the Louvre Museum and transform it into a welcoming place. --Editor The Sunflowers: Vincent Van Gogh's Search for Beauty By Zahra Marwan New York: Feiwel and Friends, an imprint of Macmillan Publishing Group, LLC, 2024. Informational. Vincent van Gogh paints what others consider inelegant. But painting those sunflowers bring happiness to his troubled heart. And it isn't until he begins traveling that his world opens up to new friends and new ideas that help his heart and art thrive more than he could have ever imagined. Award-winning author-illustrator Zahra Marwan has depicted a breathtaking passage of Vincent van Gogh's life in The Sunflowers, filled with dreamy watercolor artwork. And while it is based on van Gogh's real life, it als...

  Cuentos ¡Boogie en el Bronx! Escrito por Jackie Azúa Kramer Ilustrado por Jana Glatt Concord, MA : Barefoot Books, 2024. Libro ilustrado. "Izquierda, derecha, los pasos doy. Chasqueo, zapateo, al ritmo voy. Canta con nosotros y mueve los pies. Este libro cuenta con acceso en línea al audio y a la animación-del cuento." --Editor Cuentitos A recoger manzanas Escrito por Candice Ransom Ilustrado por Erika Meza New York : Random House, 2021. Fácil. "Una hermana y un hermano le dan la bienvenida al otoño con una actividad clásica: ¡recogiendo manzanas! Pasean alegremente por un huerto de manzanas, y se apuran para escoger las mejores antes que otros niños se las ganen. La historia de este divertido día está llena de acción. Sus versos con rima son fáciles de entender, lo que asegura una experiencia de lectura exitosa. Este libro es perfecto para el otoño, y para leer en clase o antes de dormir." --Editor

  Stories in the Park My Dog Thinks I'm a Genius Written by Harriet Ziefert Illustrated by Barroux Maplewood, NJ: Blue Apple Books, 2011. Picture Book. A budding artist goes to school after painting a picture with input from his dog Louie, and returns home to find that the dog has some talent, as well. --Editor Stories in the Park Yellow Is My Color Star By Judy Horacek New York: Beach Lane Books, 2014. Picture Book. Celebrates all the colors of the world, especially yellow. --Editor Canopy Capers and Summer Story Time Lily Wool By Paula Vásquez Layton, UT: Gibbs Smith, 2017. Picture Book.  Lily Wool is a little lamb with a great big imagination who gets tired of all the grazing and resting the herd does. When she finds a strand of loose wool, she puts her great big imagination to work-- and unravels a problem! Will she be able to fix things, and find her place in the herd? --Editor Canopy Capers and Summer Story Time Hey! A Colorful Mystery By Kate Read Atlanta, GA: Peac...