Provo Library Children's Book Blog

  My littles love it when I read books that break the fourth wall. My son has a special love for The Monster at the End of This Book . I am quite partial to Press Here , Is Everyone Ready for Fun? , or Abner & Ian Get Right-Side Up . Well, luckily for all of us there are so many fun new picture books that break the fourth wall that have come out recently. Here are some of my new favorites. Enjoy!  Don’t Do It Doug!   Written by Maudie Powell-Tuck  Illustrated by Duncan Beedie  New York: Tiger Tales, 2026. Picture Book. This is a silly book about a hamster that can’t control what he does. Of course the hamster wants to do all the things they shouldn’t (like pushing buttons) and the readers will enjoy telling Doug that they shouldn’t do things. So fun!  The Future Book   Written by Mac Barnett  Illustrated by Shawn Harris  New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2026. Picture Book. In this story the narrator talks to the reader…but the narrator is from ...

  Sweet, Tart  By Kara Thorn  Somerville: MA: Candlewick Press, 2026. 336 p.  Eleven-year-old Halle and her family watched a racehorse get fatally injured on a racetrack. Halle who has a soft-spot for animals has especially had a hard time with the chance event. Additionally, Halle is struggling due to Halle’s older sister being in high school and her changing priorities (aka not Halle) and the new school year starts with Halle being put in a school class without her best friends. Needless to say, Halle is struggling. But when Halle realizes that the deceased racehorse lived just a few miles away, Halle decides to visit the stables and to start volunteering with the other horses. As Halle gains new friends, skills, and confidence she is able to overcome her lingering distress as well as come into her own. This is a great book for those who love horse stories with a lot of heart. Halle is such a kindhearted character who wants to belong and make the world a better pla...

Confessions from the Group Chat By Jodi Meadows New York: Holiday House, 2025. Fiction. 264 pages. Written by the author of  Bye Forever, I Guess , Meadows tells the story of Virginia: a relatable girl who has a good heart, but maybe not the best friends. Virginia loves that's she's a part of a popular friend group. However, their popularity means that Virginia hides parts of herself: how much she loves the library and her crush on the super unpopular Grayson. Worse than that, she actively participates in their group chat which tends to center around making fun of people at their school, including Grayson. When Virginia gets in a public fight with the Queen Bee of the group, Virginia finds herself ostracized from the group and the terrible things she's said published on the internet...complete with her name attached to the insults. Virginia becomes a social pariah at school, only talking to fellow social-outcast, Grayson, and an online friend "Knight Errant." I lo...

Inbetweens By Faith Erin Hicks New York: First Second, 2026. Comic. 240 pgs. Twin sisters Sloane and Ash have dreamed about becoming animators since they rode the studio backlot tour on a family trip to Disney World. The first step is spending their summer at a prestigious eight week animation course at a nearby university. The tweens are ecstatic to discover that their animation hero Douglas Frye will even be teaching one of their courses. Unfortunately, Sloane and Ash lose their rose colored glasses pretty quickly. Ash loves animation, but her enthusiasm doesn't immediately translate to skill. Sloane realizes she loves art but that animation isn't the right fit for her. Even Douglas Frye isn't what they expected - he openly prefers the work of white male students and is dismissive of their talented friend Nisha once he realizes she's a girl. It takes courage, friendship, a Studio Ghibli movie night, and advice from a different animation teacher for Sloane and Ash to r...

  Cuentos El pequeño pez blanco cuenta hasta 11 Por Guido Van Genechten Ciudad de México : CapiCua, un sello de VR Editoras, 2021. Libro ilustrado. "El pequeño pez blanco y sus amigos están jugando al escondite. Él encuentra a sus amigos, 1, 2, 3, pero ¿cuántos son en total?" --Editor Cuentitos Verano Por Ailie Busby Swindon, UK : Child's Play International Ltd, 2018. Pequeño libro ilustrado. "En cualquier parte del mundo en que vivamos, cada estación del año nos brinda algo especial. Acompaña a los niños en este entretenido libro mientras descubren y exploran las características del verano a través de juegos al aire libre y dentro de casa. Por medio de los sentidos, y de manera detallada y cautivadora, estas historias son ideales para que los pequeños aprendan el ciclo de las estaciones." --Editor Otros libros sobre numeros ¡Boogie en el Bronx! Los tres chivitos gruff Te haré tu propio librero La oveja 19 Contando bananas

Preschool Time How to Count to 1 Written by Caspar Salmon Illustrated by Matt Hunt Lincoln, MA: Nosy Crow Inc., 2023. Picture Book. Get ready to show off your skills in this fun new counting book! But not everything is as it seems . . . is this book really only about counting to "ONE?" Because there are SO MANY fun things that you could count. But wait --maybe there's a way to outsmart the book . . . and count all the way up to 100! --Publisher Preschool Time I Can Only Draw Worms By Will Mabbitt New York: Penguin Workshop, an imprint of Penguin Random House, 2019. Picture Book. First published in the United Kingdom in 2017 by Penguin Random House UK. --Publisher Toddler Time Five Hiding Ostriches Written by Barbara Barbieri McGrath Illustrated by Riley Samels Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge, 2022. Picture Book. Told in rhyming text, five little ostriches enjoy running through the bush, but when a lion comes near they hide. --Editor Book Babies I See You, Baby! By Flowerpot ...

Octopus Moon By Bobbie Pyron New York : Nancy Paulsen Books, 2025. 310 pgs. Octopus Moon follows ten-year-old Pearl, a perceptive and sensitive girl navigating the challenges of fifth grade. Pearl loves running, skateboarding, and visiting the aquarium where her mother works, especially to watch the octopuses and loggerhead turtles. She feels a special connection to the octopus, whose arms are highly sensitive and experience the world intensely—much like she does. When everyday life begins to feel overwhelming, Pearl’s parents take her to therapy, where she is diagnosed with depression and begins learning strategies to manage her emotions. One particularly meaningful element of the story is Pearl’s practice of setting small mental health goals and marking each attempt with a bead on a string. Each bead represents effort and gradual progress, reminding readers that trying is just as important as succeeding. This book offers an authentic and compassionate portrayal of childhood depress...

  Princess Academy: The Graphic Novel Written by Shannon Hale Illustrated by Victoria Ying New York:  Bloomsbury Children's Books, 2026. Comic. 288 pages.   In this new graphic novel edition of the beloved Shannon Hale novel, Princess Academy , Miri's story of courage and hope is brought to life in full color.  Miri Larendaughter is a girl living in Mt. Eskel, a village high in the mountains where the residents make their living mining in the quarry. When a royal messenger arrives to let the villagers know that the royal priests have declared Mt. Eskel the home of the future princess, Miri and all the other eligible village girls must travel to attend a princess academy. At the academy, they learn important lessons about friendship, loyalty, and trusting their instincts.  This is a beloved story for a reason- the pacing is quick, the characters are vibrant, and the lessons are plentiful. The graphic novel did a great job at holding true to the original whil...

  A Rock is Born Written by Richard Ho Illustrated by Lily Williams New York : Roaring Brook Press, 2025. Informational.  In   A Rock is Born , readers follow the rock cycle — how a rock is formed and how it continues to transform over and over, from one type of rock to a different type of rock, depending on where it ends up and the processes that creates it.  From 130 million years ago to today, rocks have been through an epic journey. Rocks seem like a static, unchanging thing.  Maybe a little boring.  But author Richard Ho shows how dynamic and eternally changing rocks are.  I love re-examining every day objects that normally slide under the radar.  Thinking about the past lives of rocks and how long they've been around made me excited to get outside and find some rocks!

 This week is National Library Week. What a great time to celebrate all things library-related! Libraries have been a favorite place of mine for as long as I can remember. To help you celebrate National Library Week, I have five books to share with you. Each of them made me think of the happiness I feel related to libraries or books, and how glad I am that books and libraries exist. I'm So Happy You're Here Written by Mychal Threets Illustrated by Lorraine Nam New York : Random House Books for Young Readers, 2026. Picture Book. I love the title of this book! Librarians really are so happy to see all of our patrons come through the doors. We love helping them find books and games, get access to the computers, as well as searching for information or taking care of printing needs. This book does a great job expressing the joy that patrons and librarians feel. Everyone has a place at the library, and this book truly reflects that concept. The illustrator used gorgeous vibrant colo...

  The Queen of Chess Written by Laurie Wallmark  Illustrated by Stevie Lewis New York: Little Bee Books, 2023. Biography.  " The queen of chess, Judit Polgar, dazzled the world as a prodigy, winning tournaments, gold medals, and defeating eleven world champions, including Garry Kasparov and Magnus Carlsen. At her peak, Judit was rated the eighth best chess player in the world." --Publisher May the Best Player Win By Kyla Zhao New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2024. Fiction. 225 pages.  " When twelve-year-old chess player May Li wins an award for being the top female player at the state championship, the boys on her team question her skills, so May makes a bet with a teammate that she can earn the board-one spot at nationals and become team captain." --Publisher Chess Club: The Winning Move  By Rebecca Donnelly New York:  Farrar Straus Giroux for Young Readers, 2025. Fiction. 204 pages.    "Twists, turns, and surprises await four friends as they form t...

  Cuentos El día que los crayones renunciaron Escrito por Drew Daywalt Ilustrado por Oliver Jeffers México, D. F. : Fondo De Cultura Económica, 2014. Libro ilustrado. "Un día, en la escuela, Duncan encontró un montón de cartas para él. Eran sus crayones que, molestos por el trato que recibían, decidieron escribir cartas como ultimátum para Duncan. Crayón Beige está cansado de ser el segundón de Crayón Café; Crayón Negro quiere ser usado para algo más que los contornos; y el Naranja y el Amarillo ya no se hablan porque cada uno cree que es el verdadero color del sol. El pobre Duncan solo quiere que sus crayones sean felices. ¿Qué podrá hacer para tenerlos de vuelta?" --Editor Cuentitos Muu. Bee. ¡Así Fue! Por Sandra Boynton Nueva York : Simon & Schuster Libros para Niños, 2003. Pequeño libro ilustrado. "Con este entrañable libro, los niños pequeños aprenden todos los sonidos que hacen los animals." --Editor Otros libros sobre colores Tren de carga El camaleón azu...

Preschool Time Fiona Flamingo Written by Rachael Urrutia Chu Illustrated by Kate Jeffery United States: Puppy Dogs & Ice Cream Inc., 2019. Picture Book. We all have times where we feel uncomfortable about who we are...Follow Fiona through her color-changing, feather-filled day as she learns to accept not only being a different color from the rest of her flamingo flock, but also that it's okay to be scared, angry, and sad at times. Our first book recommended by teachers and doctors to help children understand and manage their feelings. --Editor Preschool Time César's Cerulean Surprise Written by Jenny Lacika Illustrated by Laura Sandoval Herrera Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge, 2025. Picture Book. César asks to borrow Gabi's cerulean crayon, but Gabi does not know what cerulean is and decides to identify the color by asking yes-no questions. --Editor Toddler Time Doris By Lo Cole United States: Boxer Books, 2024. Picture Book. Being a bright red elephant, Doris is very easy...

A Compendium of Curious Contraptions Written by Anna Goldfield Illustrated by Paula Zamudio London: Neon Squid, 2025. Informational, 64 pgs. This engaging collection introduces the field of archeology before inviting readers to inspect several artifacts and identify their purposes themselves. Each unidentified object is given a full spread introducing the origin of the item and including some clues as to what the object was used for or how it was made. Readers can guess at what the artifact is before lifting the flap to reveal the answer.  The large illustrations of each highlighted artifact give readers an up-close examination of the artifacts, while explanation tabs show the use of the invention. Objects are sourced from around the globe and across history, and include a variety of tools and purposes. Themed pages with multiple innovations in one area, such as clothing or weapons, also split up the mystery items. Ranging from the breathtaking to the bizarre, there is so...

Basket Ball: The Story of the All-American Game By Kadir Nelson New York: Little, Brown and Co., 2026. Informational. 102 pgs. In December of 1891, at a YMCA in Springfield, Massachusetts, James Naismith taught his students how to play a new game. He mounted fruit baskets on either end of a large room and players scored points by throwing a ball into the basket on either end. Then, play would stop while they pulled out a ladder to retrieve the ball and start again. It didn't stay that way for very long. This fascinating, informative book shows how basketball innovated and evolved from a slow moving game for mostly white players, into the fast-paced, high drama, fully integrated sport we enjoy today.  Even as a big basketball fan, I still assumed that I would mostly flip through this book to see Kadir Nelson's beautiful paintings and then call it a day. Instead, I read this book cover-to-cover in a single sitting enjoying every page. Fans of other books illustrated by Kadir Nels...

Snap! Zip! Creeeeeeeeeeeak. KaPOW! We have lots of words that sound like the noise they represent. These are especially awesome in read-alouds because hey can help us say words in a funny way that engages the children we're reading to. If you or your child enjoys funny words and onomatopeia, here are five books you'll love! Grumble Yawn Written by Deborah Kerbel Illustrated by Jacqui Lee Victoria, British Columbia: Orca Book Publishers, 2022. Board Book. The age old story of a child who doesn't want to go to bed, but obviously needs to. Using just a few onomatopeic words per page, a child's bedtime routine is described, as well as her reluctance. This is sure to give young kids plenty of words to use to describe the sounds of their own getting-ready-for-bed activities. Onomatopanda By Janik Coat New York: Abrams Appleseed, 2024. Board Book. Onomatopeia... with a panda! Go through a day with panda, all while it discovers the different sounds of its life: the "Brrrii...

  Cuentos El cumpleaños de Mateo Por Pato Mena [Madrid] : NubeOcho, 2024. Libro ilustrado. "Sofía está invitada al cumpleaños de Mateo. Y su padre la acompaña. 'Papá, si tú y yo fuéramos gatos, ¿Cómo llegaríamos al cumpleaños? ¿Y si fuéramos ranas? ¿Rinocerontes? ¿Aliens? ¿Fantasmas?'" --Editor Cuentitos El pez arcíris Por Marcus Pfister New York : Northsouth Books, 2025. Pequeño libro ilustrado. "La historia querida sobre compartir y amistad es disponisble como libro de cartón traducido por el galardonado autor David Bowles. El Pez Arco̕ris es el pez más bello de todo el mar. Vanidoso y orgulloso, se niega a compartir sus escamas relucientes. Cuando los otros peces no quieren jugar con él, el Pez Arco̕ris aprende que compartiendo puede hacer amistades y encontrar la felicidad. Esta historia sencilla sobre un pez bonito que aprende una lección importante conmueve a lectores de todos idiomas." --Editor Otros libros sobre las letras del idioma español Muu juu ...

Preschool Time Zebra and Yak: The Backwards Alphabet Book By Paul Friedrich New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2025. Picture Book. When the alphabet starts with Z instead of A, Zebra and Yak make their way through a mixed-up alphabet in search of Apple. --Editor Preschool Time Amadou's Zoo By Rebecca Walsh Salem, MA: Page Street Kids, 2020. Picture Book. Amadou has waited and waited for his class trip to the zoo, but when they arrive, his teacher would rather talk about rules. So, Amadou eagerly explores the zoo in his own way--by allowing his imagination to lead. As more and more classmates follow him into his irresistible world of adventure, the sepia-toned zoo fills with vibrant color. But will Amadou's teacher follow, too? --Editor Toddler Time A Hippo in Our Yard By Liza Donnelly New York: Holiday House, 2016. Picture Book. Sally tries to tell her family that a hippo, a tiger, zebras and koalas are in their yard, but no one pays attention until they hear that the zoo animal...

These vibrant picture book biographies introduce young readers to creative thinkers who transformed imagination into meaningful art. From abstract painters and revolutionary printmakers to innovative sculptors and glass artists, each story shows how curiosity, resilience, and self-expression shape both art and identity. Art is not just about talent—it’s about looking at the world in a new way, embracing challenges, and having the courage to create something uniquely your own. Joan Mitchell Paints a Symphony Written by Lisa Rogers Illustrated by Stacy Innerst New York, NY : Calkins Creek, 2025. Biography. This is the story of abstract artist Joan Mitchell, and it centers on the creation of her 21-painting La Grande Vallée series finished in 1983 at her studio outside Paris. Inspired by a friend’s description of a secluded French valley she never actually saw, Mitchell transformed memory and emotion into sweeping, expressive canvases rather than literal landscapes. Through musical metap...