Provo Library Children's Book Blog

  Cuentos Los niños no se comen Por Ryan T. Higgins Barcelona: RBA Libros: RBA Molino, 2019. Libro ilustrado. "Penélope empieza el colegio. ¡Por fin va a conocer a sus compañeros! Pero le va a costar hacer amigos humanos si son tan deliciosos ..." --Editor  Cuentitos ¡Hora del fútbol! Escrito por Terry Pierce Ilustrado por Bob McMahon New York : Random House, 2021. Fácil. "Pateamos. Pasamos. Corremos sobre el césped. Sin manos, sólo pies. El juego comienza. ¡Piii!" Otros libros sobre las letras "W" y "X" La tímida Willow Popo el xolo ¡No explotes! Pequeña Excavadora Wilma y wómbat

Preschool Time Victor, the Wolf with Worries By Catherine Rayner New York: Boxer Books, 2024. Picture Book. Victor, the Wolf with Worries is a comforting and reassuring tale that is especially helpful for little ones who have trouble talking about their feelings. --Publisher Preschool Time While We Wait Written by Judy Ann Sadler Illustrated by Élodie Duhameau Berkeley, CA: Owlkids Books, 2022. Picture Book. A boy and his grandmother wait and wait and wait. While they wait, they sit and knit, they stretch, they rock, they dance, they pace, they snack, they talk. But still, time passes s-l-o-w-l-y. And all the while, they "sit and knit and wait." What are they waiting for? Spoiler alert! The family's new baby! When mom and dad finally get home from the hospital there is joy and awe--and a special gift for baby, knitted with love. A gentle lesson about patience that is well worth the wait. --Publisher Toddler Time My Words By Grant Snider New York: Harper, an imprint of Har...

Tigers are the biggest cats in the world—even larger than lions! Each tiger has a unique pattern of stripes, much like people have unique fingerprints. They are excellent swimmers and usually live alone, except for mothers raising their cubs. In the stories that follow, tigers appear not only as fascinating animals but also as symbols of self-acceptance, hope, and generosity. Their adventures highlight lessons about consequences, growth, and perseverance—showing that the biggest cats can help teach some of life’s biggest ideas. My Tiger Written by Joy Cowley Illustrated by David Barrow Minneapolis : Gecko Press, 2026. Picture book. This book is about a tiger who only eats cake. And just like anyone who only eats cake, he ends up with a toothache. Will a dentist be able to help? This delightful story gives a whole new meaning to watching what you eat! You Can't Tame a Tiger Written by Stephanie Ellen Sy Illustrated by Julien Chung Toronto, ON : Owlkids Books, 2025. Picture book. Wha...

A Year Without Home By V.T. Bidania New York: Penguin Group, 2026. 432 pgs. Historical fiction.  It's 1975 and 11-year-old Gao Sheng is used to finding bright moments of hope and beauty in the midst of the Laotian civil war. Her father is a high ranking Hmong soldier who has been assisting American troops, and so she is always worried about the war. But she loves her home on top of a beautiful mountain surrounded by peach trees and she loves her family. Suddenly, Laos is taken over by communist troops and Gao Sheng's father receives a warning that their family needs to leave right away or risk being captured. Barely missing the last plane out of Laos, Gao Sheng and her extended family begin a dangerous journey to escape Laos in seek of refuge in Thailand. This first-person novel in verse, based on the true experiences of the author's oldest sister, provides an intimate look at the refugee experience for young readers. Gao Sheng conflicted between her responsibilities as an ...

March is Women's History Month, with March 8th being specified as International Women's Day. I decided the way I wanted to celebrate Women's History would be threefold: to read books by women authors I am already familiar with, refresh my memory about major women in history by reading or rereading biographies, and continue to seek out new books primarily featuring women authors and illustrators. Following are five of the books that fit into one of those categories. They are favorites of mine, and I hope you will enjoy them as well. Louisa Learns to Write Written by Kate Hannigan Illustrated by Sofia Moore New York, NY : Calkins Creek, an imprint of Astra Books for Young Readers, 2026. Informational. Louisa May Alcott is a treasured author whose work has inspired generations of readers. This lovely biography presents the reader the background story behind her famous book Little Women. I loved the elements highlighted that contribute to Louisa becoming a great writer, includi...

  Cuentitos Rot: ¡El más valiente del mundo! Por Ben Clanton Barcelona : Juventud, 2022. Libro ilustrado. Rot, la patata mutante, debe encontrar la manera de enfrentarse a su miedo después de que su hermano mayor, Moco, le haya dicho que en el magnífico charco de barro que ha encontrado puede esconderse el peligroso Gusamalo. --Editor Cuentitos ¡Muy verde! Escrito por Sumana Seeboruth Ilustrado por Maribel Castells Concord, MA : Barefoot Books, 2023. Pequeño libro ilustrado. ¡Ayudar a mami y a mamá a cocinar le da a este niño la valentía de probar una nueva comica! --Editor Otros libros sobre la letra "V" La gatita y el vigilante nocturno La vuelta a un año Buenas noches, asquerosa cosa viscosa Vida: los ratones, el gato y el alebrije Los viernes comemos churros

Preschool Time Vera the Valiente is Scared Written by Ana Siqueira Illustrated by Teresa Martinez Minneapolis, MN: Beaming Books, 2025. Picture Book. A hilarious story about what it really means to be brave. Meet Vera the Brave--La Valiente! She dives like a dolphin, climbs like a mountain goat, and defends her amigos like un le̤n. But she trembles when she hears her teacher say, "We're going to Rocking Roller Coasters!" Oh no! Vera tries to convince the teacher her plan is not the best, but Ms. Rodr̕guez does not change her mind about the field trip. Now if Vera can't face her fears, everyone will discover she's not that brave after all! But what if being brave is much more than she expected? Vera La Valiente Is Scared redefines what it means to be brave. It's okay to show your feelings and fears! And maybe, with some help, you can even face some of them. --Publisher Preschool Time You Can Do It, Noisy Nora! By Rosemary Wells New York: Viking, an imprint of P...

Fractured fairytales are fun, but my children are young enough that they don't know all the traditional stories yet. Someday we'll read The Stinky Cheese Man and Cinderella - with Dogs!  but   I would be skipping a step if that's where we started. The picture books in this list have no puns, no spoofs, no references. They're all current renditions of fairytales, each taking a totally distinct approach to lean into the weirdness, the wisdom, and the delight of these timeless stories.                                                                                                                                                ...

  Relic Hamilton, Genie Hunter Written by Joseph Coelho Illustrated by Hyun Song We Somerville, Massachusetts: Candlewick Press, 2026. Fiction. 279 pages. Relic Hamilton is used to seeing odd, old items. He does work in his family's antique store, after all. What he doesn't know is that the old lamps he sees hidden under the floor in the basement contain magical beings, some of whom are intent on destroying the world. After he accidentally releases Ravenna, an evil genie who wants to trap all humans in lamps like he has been trapped, Relic must team up with the Hermitic Sodality of Genie Hunters to track down the girl who ended up with the lamp and get it back before it's too late. Luckily the rest of the lamps contain magical sprites that can help him on his journey. This is a great fantasy for kids who have ever been obsessed with Aladdin and wondered what they would do with three wishes of their own. Relic's adventures will keep kids engaged while reading and waiting...

St. Patrick's Day is next week, and there are so many books to help you get in the holiday mood! Whether you want a book about leprechauns, a book about Ireland, or a book of festive poetry, this list has got you covered. Here are five great picture books to help readers celebrate:  The Unluckiest Leprechaun Written by Alastair Heim Illustrated by Pablo Pino New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2026. Picture Book.  Leprechauns are usually known for their good luck, but Clover is decidedly unlucky . He decides to go on a quest to find his luck at the end of a rainbow, but he keeps getting into scrapes! Will he ever be able to find his luck?  The St. Patrick's Day Alphabet Written by Liz Saunders  Illustrated by Lindsay Dale-Scott Naperville, IL: Duopress, 2025. Picture Book.  Young children can learn all about the history of St. Patrick's Day and Ireland in this engaging ABC story! The book talks about the more well-known St. Patrick's day feat...

Dear Acorn (Love, Oak): Letter Poems to Friends Written by Joyce Sidman Illustrated by Melissa Sweet New York, NY : Clarion Books, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, 2025. Poetry. 40 pages. These whimsical and charming pairs of poems are letters between friends. They may not be the friends you would typically think of, such as a bubble and the sky or a child and their toes, but the creative personification of these ordinary things takes the mundane and turns it magical. The poems are written in different formats, suiting the voice and message of each writer. Joyce Sidman creates a perfect guide, through examples and instruction at the back of the book, on writing poetry. Melissa Sweet creates stunning illustrations using mixed mediums. This small book of poems is perfect for your child with their head in the clouds. In fact, the letters between a cloud and droplets is one of my favorite pairs. Any reader will have a great exercise in imagination while reading them.

Whether it be dragons, disease, or climate change, there are several ways that authors have imagined the world coming to a disastrous end. But in many of the stories of how the world can fall apart, there are people who fight to put it back together again. Many of these stories deal with how young people stand up to oppressive regimes to confront misinformation and discover conspiracies to create a better world. If you enjoy adventuresome stories of hope amidst catastrophe, you'll enjoy these five books set in a post-apocalyptic world. Alebrijes By Donna Barba Higuera Montclair, NJ: Levine Querido, 2023. Fiction. 404 pages. When Leandro's sister, Gabi, is caught stealing, his first instinct is to take her place to prevent her from suffering the harsh consequences of the oppressive Pocatel regime. Because Leandro is still a minor, he isn't banished from the city to await certain death, instead, his consciousness is transferred to a small hummingbird drone, called an alebrije...

  Wiggling Words   By Kate Rolfe  Sommerville, MA: Candlewick Press, 2026. Picture Book. Every now and again a book comes along that really captures something that is important to me. As a person who often has letters or numbers shift around when I’m trying to read or write, this book really spoke to me. It is about a girl who gets really frustrated when trying to read due to words moving, jumping, and wiggling around on the page. In the story, the protagonist gets overwhelmed when all the letters fall out of the book and she can’t make sense of anything. Eventually with when just a few letters are pulled out and looked at on their own, things start to slowly make sense.  This is a great book to help readers who have dyslexia realize that their experience with reading is valid and hard. I love how the illustrations—with the vibrant (yet limited) colors, the beautifully hand-printed letters, the striking layout—all bring to light the feeling of what is happening to re...

  Cuentos Cómo contar hasta uno Escrito por Caspar Salmon Ilustrado por Matt Hunt [Spain] : Edelvives, 2022. Libro ilustrado. "Supongo que sabes contar, no? ¡ESTUPENDO! En este libro tienes montones de COSAS para contar: ballenas, arcoíris, moscas, trompetas ... Pero hay UNA condición: SOLO puedes contar hasta UNO. ¡Ni se te ocurra pensar en números mayores! ¿VALE? Un libro que desafia el ingenio de los pequeños lectores, para hacerles reír una y mil veces." --Editor Cuentitos Viento Por Carol Thompson Swindon, UK : Child's Play-International, 2017. Pequeño libro ilustrado. "¡A jugar con el viento! ¡Hay una gran variedad de vistas, sonidos, olores, sabores y texturas para descubrir y disfrutar!" --Editor Otros libros sobre la letra "U" Tu lugar en el universo Última parada de la calle Market Cómo atrapar a un unicornio Unicornio se cree genial El cumpleaños de Mateo

Preschool Time Wee Unicorn By Meg McLaren Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge, 2023. Picture Book. Wee Unicorn is not magic, but she is loud, and feels very misunderstood--until she meets a monster at the Loch. --Editor Preschool Time The Umbrella Written by Beth Ferry Illustrated by Tom Litchenheld New York, New York: Clarion Books, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, 2023. Picture Book. A little girl and her dog find unexpected ways to spread the light in their dreary town where it always rains, showing that happiness is contagious. --Editor Toddler Time E-I-UFO: Old MacDonald Had a Farm Written by Zach Von Zonk Illustrated by Benjamin Chaud San Francisco: Chronicle Books, 2025. Picture Book. When a spaceship visits Old MacDonald's farm chaos ensues as the farm animals make a mess of Old MacMartian's vessel. --Editor But First, We Nap Written by David Miles Illustrated by Darya Dremova Sanger: Familius, 2018. Board Book. Sloth wants to nap. Rabbit doesn't. Who will win in the...

Rabbit Rabbit Dori Hillestad Butler and Sunshine Bacon New York : Holiday House, 2025. Fiction. 328 pgs. Rabbit Rabbit by Dori Hillestad Butler and Sunshine Bacon is a thoughtful contemporary novel for middle-grade readers. The story follows twelve-year-old cousins Alice and Bee, whose families have been estranged for years. When a family gathering finally brings them together, the girls quickly bond despite growing up with very different experiences and viewpoints. Their curiosity about the family divide leads them to investigate what caused the conflict in the first place. This book may be especially meaningful for a mature reader who is beginning to notice and think about the different opinions adults hold. The story touches on family disagreements, beliefs, and communication in ways that reflect conversations many families have experienced in recent years. Because it explores social, religious, and political differences, the book can provide a thoughtful starting point for discussi...