Provo Library Children's Book Blog

  Hansel and Gretel  Retold by Stephen King  Pictures by Maurice Sendak  New York: HarperCollins Children’s Books, 2025. Picture Book.  Stephen King was asked to write a “new interpretation” of the story of Hansel and Gretel based on some illustrations that Maurice Sendak did for the Humperdinck opera of the story. This book is a combination of King’s new take on the classic tale, as well as Sendak’s illustrations from the opera. And boy, is this a good retelling! There is a lot of text, but with the darkness of the tale and a master of horror like Stephen King, that is no surprise. This is a story that will read well to older elementary school kids who enjoy rich sentences that convey the horror of this story in subtle ways. Also, the illustrations are classic Sendak pictures. There are lots of colors, detailed trees, and a stunning illustration of a witch on a broom pulling a basket of soon-to-be-eaten children behind her. Read this to any child who loves book...

Next month is a month where my family will plan lots of time together—most of which will be spent eating food together. And I wouldn’t be the librarian I am without sharing this list of great titles where food and family are the focus of each story. So, pull up a snack and settle in to read these five picture books that just might make you pull your loved ones closer while also reaching for a snack!  Fish Fry Friday Written by Winsome Bingham  Illustrated by C. G. Esperanza  New York: Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2025. Picture Book. The young kid who is out of school for a Friday gets to spend the day with Granny. On Fridays, Granny goes and catches fish to use for the family fish fry on Friday nights. The narrator loves spending time with Granny as she teaches about fishing, filleting, and frying up good times with food and family.  Grilled Cheese? Yes, Please! By Tim Kleyn  New York: Viking, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC, 2024. Picture Book.  ...

Blood in the Water By Tiffany D. Jackson New York: Scholastic, 2025. Fiction. 255 pages. 12-year-old Kaylani McKinnon can't help but feel like a fish out of water. She's a Brooklyn girl spending her summer on Martha's Vineyard surrounded by wealthy family friends in their mansion. All she really wants is to stay home all summer where she her incarcerated father can easily reach her, and she can keep working to find ways to prove him innocent of fraud and embezzlement. Despite her protests, she finds herself on the island with the snooty granddaughters of her host. Soon after Kaylani's arrival, a popular teen boy is found murdered and she decides to conduct her own investigation. As she tries to discover what happened to Chadwick Cooper, Kaylani finds that not everything on Martha's Vineyard is as perfect as it appears. Thrillers for middle grade readers can be hard to find, but Tiffany D. Jackson succeeds in her first middle grade novel. A quick moving plot, tight d...

Picture books about the night are a popular and a very versatile genre for children. These type of books offer everything from calming bedtime stories to fascinating books about nocturnal animals and exploring the dark night. If you like stories about nighttime and are comfortable with books that explain the mysteries of the world after sunset these books are for you.  Night of the Hedgehog Written by Tanya Rosie Illustrated by Chuck Groenink Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press, 2025. Picture Book. A young girl and her father go on a special walk one night in their garden under the full moon. They quietly wait outside at a special spot and are rewarded when they see a mother hedgehog and her babies coming for a drink of water. The hedgehogs quietly walk along the "hedgehog highway" that the father and daughter created for them. After the hedgehogs have gone on their way the father and daughter return home with a cherished memory they can share.  This is a sweet read aloud that d...

Tomatoes on Trial Written by Lindsay H. Metcalf Illustrated by Edwin Fotheringham New York: Calkins Creek, 2025. Informational. An age old debate that has caused divisions in my household for over six years: Is a tomato a fruit or a vegetable? Do we go with the botanical definition of what a fruit is or judge a tomato based on how it's used culinarily? This informational picture book tells the story of John Nix and his attempt to get tomatoes classified as a fruit so he wouldn't have to pay the 10% vegetable tax to import the nightshades from abroad. The lineup is then set for the great tomato debate as it took place in the Supreme Court case of Nix vs. Hedden . Arguments are laid out in a "food fight" before the court confirmed the tomato's place as a vegetable. I loved how this book put historical context to what can be a humorous debate. Peppered with fruit and vegetable puns, Metcalf isn't shy about sharing the financial motivations of both Nix and the US ...

First Ascent: The Epic Yosemite Rock Climbing Rivalry of Royal Robbins and Warren Harding Written by Kate Messner Illustrated by Steview Lewis Yosemite National Park: Yosemite Conservancy Press, 2025. Informational Picture Book. How two "fathers of rock climbing" engaged in a daring game of one-upmanship, pushing the sport to new heights as they racked up first ascents of big wall climbs around Yosemite Valley in the 1950s and 60s, ultimately paving the way for a modern era of rock climbing with a focus on leave-no-trace environmental ethics. -- Publisher. Up, Up, Ever Up!: Junko Tabei: A Life in the Mountains Written by Anita Yasuda Illustrated by Yuzo Shimizu New York: Clarion Books, 2024. Biography. Anita Yasuda's evocative picture book biography about Junko Tabei, the first woman to summit Everest. -- Publisher Mystery on Everest: A Photobiography of George Mallory By Audrey Salkeld Washington, D.C.: National Geographic Society, 2000. Biography. 64 pages. Discusses th...

Cuentos La viejecita que no le tenía miedo a nada Escrito por Linda Wiliams Ilustrado por Megan Lloyd New York: Harper Arco Iris, 1996. Libro ilustrado. "Una pequeña vieja señora que no está asustada cualquier cosa debe ocuparse de una cabeza de la calabaza, de un sombrero negro alto, y de otros objetos spooky que la sigan a través de las maderas oscuras que intentan asustarla." --Editor Cuentitos La calabaza feliz Por MacKenzie Haley London: Dorling Kindersley Ltd., 2023. Pequeño libro ilustrado. "Ya queda poco para Halloween y es el momento de elegir calabaza. Las calabazas, con sus terroríficos dientes y escalofriantes ojos, no ven la hora de conocer a sus nuevas familias, ¡todas quieren se las primeras en ser elegidas! Sin embargo,hay una en la que nadie se fija: la calabaza felíz. Porque ... ¿quién querría una calabaza sonriente en la noche más terrorífica del año?" --Editor Otros libros sobre la letra "H" Cuando tu niñera es una bruja Es Halloween, q...

Preschool Time Herbert's First Halloween Written by Cynthia Rylant Illustrated by Steven Henry San Francisco, CA: Chronicle Books LLC, 2017. Picture Book. Herbert and his father prepare for his first Halloween by making a tiger costume and practicing a big roar. --Editor Preschool Time Grizelda the Green Hates Halloween Written by A. A. Livingston Illustrated by Katya Longhi New York: Flamingo Books, 2025. Picture Book. Grizelda the Green, a witch who despises Halloween, hatches a plan to keep the festivities away, but unexpected surprises make her love the holiday. --Editor Toddler Time We Are Definitely Human By X. Fang Toronto: Tundra Books, 2024. Picture Book. When three mysterious visitors from "Europe" crash-land in Mr. Li's field, he does what any good host would: he invites them back to his farmhouse and offers to help fix up their "car". No, there's nothing strange about these guests at all. Just like other humans, they "make business"...

Hee hee hee! Hello, my pretties! Here are five short, illustrated chapter books for the season of the witch - some sweet, some spooky, all magical.  The Knitting Witch Written by Norma Kassirer Illustrated by Mark Richardson. Oakland, California : The Collective Book Studio, 2024. Intermediate. 88 pages. Outrageously spoiled Ivy Lou meets her match when a witch appears and tries to trick her into becoming her child. Ivy Lou must unravel the witch's dark magic and save her parents. A modern classic in the register of Roald Dahl, with mischief, humor and spookiness. Witchycakes: Sweet Magic  Written by Kara LaReau Illustrated by Ariane Moreira. New York : Random House Children's Books, 2025. Intermediate. 76 pages. Witchycakes  owes a lot to  Kiki's Delivery Service : a cute newbie witch making and delivering baked goods to the residents of their dreamy seaside town. It's cozy and sweet with lots of glowy illustrations. New Girl: Diary of an Accidental Witch Written by...

The Experiment By Rebecca Stead New York: Feiwel & Friends, 2025. Fiction. 288 pages. Nathan and his family are not like their neighbors... mostly due to the fact that they are aliens. This has never really been a problem for Nathan. Due to the toothpaste he religiously brushes on his teeth multiple times a day, he has taken the form of an earthling. That is, until the fateful vacation when he suddenly grows a tail. Now he's being called back to the mothership and instead of seeming worried, the leader is... celebrating? Nathan needs to figure out why his fellow alien friends are disappearing to the mothership and never returning and why things aren't as they seem. Rebecca Stead is known for her standout sci fi novels, and this is no exception. Kids who like the genre will find a lot to love about this book. You could also hand this to fans of mystery novels where everything is not what it seems.

It's that eerie time of year, and you may have started wondering about all the whys and hows behind our spookiest traditions. Well then, non-fiction readers, celebrate—because this is the list for you! Here are some of the latest publications covering everything from ghoulicious cooking to haunting locales to spooky global celebrations and stories for this bone-chilling season! Spooky Celebrations Around the World Written by Matt Ralphs Illustrated by Veronika Kotyk  New York; London: Phaidon, 2024. Informational. 47 pages.  Dive into a global tour of fascinating festivals in Spooky Celebrations Around the World . Beyond familiar favorites like Halloween and Día de Muertos, this vibrant book introduces young readers to 21 unique celebrations honoring spirits across every continent. With playful, yet respectful text and stunning artwork, it's a brilliant, year-round read that will spark curiosity about cultural traditions and the world. Spooky Lakes: 25 Strange and Mysterious ...

The Mixed-Up Owl  Written by Marzena Sowa Illustrated by Joanna Lorno New York : Hippo Park, 2025. Picture Book. When Owl can't sleep at night, he heads off to see if any forest animals can help him understand why, and even more so, how to fix it!  Unfortunately, all the animals Owl runs into at night are asleep and all the animals he meets during the day are too rude or too busy to answer him.  Will Owl give up or will a chance meeting with a grumpy hedgehog provide all the solutions Owl was looking for? The premise of an owl trying to stay awake during the day because all the other animals around him do is very fun. Kids who know that owls are nocturnal will get a kick out of Owl's confusion and be quick to try to tell him what's going on.  Readers who don't know many facts about owls (or nocturnal animals in general) will get a brief introduction to the different ways animals sleep. The illustrations are charming, especially cute Owl and his expressive body langua...

September was an interesting month for our family. Typically I get very excited for September! I love fall and the changing colors. When the air starts to feel a little more crisp in the mornings I feel happy. This year, though, September ended up anything but typical. We had a family member in the hospital for nearly the entire month, which definitely made things feel a little bit heavier than usual, and I wasn't able to revel in the changing seasons the way I ordinarily do. On the brighter side of things, I was fortunate to read several picture books that brought me joy and even inspired feelings of hopefulness. You will find five of them listed below. All's Right With the World Written by Jennifer Adams Illustrated by Christopher Silas Neal New York, NY : Balzer + Bray, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, 2023. Picture Book. I always love when a cover pulls me in before I even open the book! This cover showing two kids on swings in front of a beautiful sun and sky, with a...

  The Unofficial Guide to the Ancient Egyptian Afterlife By Laura Winstone London: Cicada Books, 2022. Informational. Bastet is a mummified cat who is here to take you on a journey through the mystical death rituals of Ancient Egypt. Starting with some routine disembowelment and mummification, she explains about the role of the coffins, the separation of your soul, the importance of amulets and the various types of Egyptian tombs. Together, you will cross the river Styx and face the gods in one final judgement, the weighing of the heart. Bastet will make sure you have everything you need in the afterlife, because, it turns out, you can take it with you after all! --Editor Egyptian Myths Written by Jean Menzies Illustrated by Katie Ponder New York, NY: DK, 2022. Informational.144 pages. Prepare to enter a world of deserts and floods, inhabited by shape-shifting gods, wicked demons, and mighty pharaohs. This collection of 20 tales from Ancient Egypt will transport you back thousands ...

  Cuentos Joaquín y Marta Por Petr Horáček Londres ; Nueva York : Phaidon Press, 2012. Libro ilustrado. "Joaquín es un gusano solitario que vive a la izquierda de un árbol. Marta también es un gusano solitario, y vive a la derecha del árbol. Pero una gran pera jugosa caída del cielo los unirá en más de un sentido ..." --Editor Cuentitos ¡A comer! Escrito por Elizabeth Verdick Ilustrado por Marieka Heinlen Minneapolis, MN : Free Spirit Publishing, 2024. Pequeño libro ilustrado. "¡Es hora de llenar la pancita de cosas ricas! Es una comida sana y divertida. ¡Puedes empezar! Come frutas y verduras, prueba algo nuevo y trata de quedarse sentado hasta que hayas ... ¡TERMINADO!" --Editor Otros libros sobre la letra "G" Gato Gordo Pato y Ganso No abrazar a Gaspar: (no le va a gustar) La pequeña gaticornia Los tres chivitos gruff