Provo Library Children's Book Blog

Over half of Americans own a dog, and even more are dog lovers, which means National Dog Day is a holiday that should be celebrated wholeheartedly! These five picture books about dogs are wonderful options to help you kickstart your festivities this year.  Van Dog By Mikołaj Pasiński Varennes, Quebec, Canada: Milky Way Picture Books, 2022. Picture Book.  An artsy pup, Van Dog, takes a trip into the countryside to paint the landscape in this delightful and beautiful picture book. Readers will relate to the journey of Van Dog and his difficulty to accurately capture the beauty around him. Dog lovers will love this fanciful artistic romp! My Dog and I Written by Luca Tortolini Illustrated by Felicita Sala Varennes, Quebec, Canada: Milky Way Picture Books, 2023. Picture Book.  This book may not feature a dog in the traditional sense, but it will be sure to delight nonetheless! The story begins with a little girl on a walk who stumbles upon a "dog". She brings it hom...

Worm on the Job Written by Maureen Fergus Illustrated by Paul G. Hammond  Toronto, ON: Kids Can Press, 2026. Picture Book.  Worm is on the hunt for a new job after he tires of being the head librarian at his local library. After considering and rejecting several different options (lifeguard, window washer, etc.), he decides to apply to be the newest security guard for the Invention's Convention building. At first, the hiring manager doesn't quite believe in Worm's abilities, but once Worm is given a chance, he proves that you don't have to be big to make an impact.  This book was so much fun, and all the worm facts throughout were a welcome bonus to all of the absurd and hilarious hijinks that Worm got up to. Preschoolers and early elementary school kids who love humorous picture books will definitely love Worm! Adult readers will also get a kick out of the story, making this a perfect book for read-alouds. 

One Whole Hippopotamus By Carter Higgins San Francisco, CA: Chronicle Books, 2026. Picture Book. Counting, sorting, parts and wholes! This book is a science and math primer disguised by a bouncy rhyme. One Whole Hippopotamus  explores similarities and differences by showing two shapes, and asking how they are the same and how they are different. Some are speckled, differently sized, or in pieces. Back matter gives ideas on how to read this book with different age groups. I love a Carter Higgins book. Her illustrations have a classical feel, similar to Eric Carle, and the bright colors help kids answer the questions the narration asks. This book is a fun bouncy story to read straight through and it will be fun to methodically go through the pages with a child. This discussion provoking title is sure to help teach concepts of similar, different, parts, and builds vocabulary to describe patterns (e.g. speckled, checkered). All over, a delightful read for multiple ages.

Bothered By Bugs By Emily Gravett New York : Boxer Book, 2025. Picture book. This book tells the story of  Pete the badger and a group of woodland animals who grow tired of sharing their forest with buzzing, crawling insects. Determined to solve the problem, they soon discover that insects play an important role in keeping the forest healthy and balanced. Readers are encouraged to appreciate even the smallest creatures and take care of the natural world. My Tiger Written by Joy Cowley Illustrated by David Barrow. Minneapolis : Gecko Press, 2026. Picture book. To this tiger, cake is the best thing ever! But a diet of ONLY sugar comes with consequences. What happens when a dentist advises him to stop eating sweets? Readers will enjoy the blend of an everyday experience with an imaginative twist at the end. The Whale's Tale and the Otter's Side of the Story Written by Kate Messner Illustrated by Brian Biggs New York : Clarion Books, 2026. Picture book. In this reversible book, a b...

For good and bad, there's nothing quite like finishing a picture book to a chorus of "again!" Anyone who has read books with preschoolers knows just what I mean–when you find a favorite there's no limit to how many times you can read and re-read it. If you're looking for a new family favorite, here are five books for preschoolers that they will want you to read again and again. The Chase By Jenny Bloomfield London: Frances Lincoln Children's Books, 2026. Picture book. Ready.... set.... FETCH! A little girl is playing on the beach with a dog and a ball, and with a dramatic turn of the page she sends that ball flying into the air. The excited dog goes running after the ball, and is joined by an ever growing number of dogs! The pack of dogs goes chasing after the ball all through the town, inside the museum, to the top of a waterfall! For dog lovers in particular, this is a fun frenetic read aloud with lots of dramatic book and pages turns. There is Not Usually a...

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 the fut...

It is spring (well, at least according to the calendar). And when it is spring I often think of cute little animals—including bunnies. Here are some of my favorite bunny books that were published recently. Enjoy!   Bouncing Bunnies!   By Fiz Osborne  Illustrated by Tim Budgen  New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2025. Picture Book.  I love reading this bunny book out loud! It is all about cute little bunnies that wiggle—and readers can wiggle and bounce along with the bunnies (which just may be my favorite part!). The rhymes are fun for littles learning about rhythm and rhymes and the illustrations are simply adorable.  I Am Not the Easter Bunny!   By T.L. McBeth  New York: Flamingo Books, 2024. Picture Book.  I couldn’t not include an Easter Bunny book in this bunny list. And this is a pretty silly one. Readers are introduced to a bunny that the narrator suspects is the Easter Bunny. The bunny emphatically denies bei...

Broken By X. Fang Toronto, CA: Tundra Books, 2025. Picture Book. When Mei Mei accidentally breaks her grandmother's favorite cup while she is trying to scare the cat, she panics! What if Ama gets angry and yells, or worse—kicks her out of the house?! When Ama calls Mei Mei in for cake and Ama believes that the cat was the one responsible for the break, Mei Mei wants to be relieved but she feels too guilty to relax! Mei Mei has to decide if she will face the consequences and tell Ama the truth.  Colored pencil illustrations and a fun mix of compositions (that sometimes require you to turn the book sideways!) will capture young readers' attention. Mei Mei's dramatic and hyperbolic account of her woes will certainly make readers giggle, but the humor does not undermine the empathetic value and emotional payoff of her story. A heartwarming example of how to apologize and make things right, perfect for reading aloud. 

Here is the thing, I have a kid that loves animals. And I have another kid who really likes funny books. So when it comes to reading books if I can get a book that is funny and has animals in it, there is a chance that I can get both of my kids to listen to that book. Which is a win-win for reading time at my house. Here are some great new picture books that feature animals that may also make readers chuckle. Enjoy!  Cranky, Crabby Crow (Saves the World)  By Corey R. Tabor  New York: Greenwillow Books, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, 2025. Picture Book.  In this book a very cranky (and crabby) crow keeps “kaw”ing at all the other animals to get them to go away. The other animals respond in various states of annoyance/offense to Crow’s response. Eventually readers see the reasoning behind Crow’s actions—which is where the chuckles will come in.  Help Me Find My Hamster!  Written by Brooke Hartman  Illustrated by Anna Süssbauer  Salem, MA: Pa...

Lone Wolf on Vacation Written by Kiah Thomas Illustrated by K-Fai Steele New York: Holiday House, 2025. Easy Reader.  Wolf has decided to take a much needed vacation to spend some time all alone. He is looking forward to going sightseeing, spending time outside, and not running into anyone he knows. His trip begins on a late night bus journey (to avoid having to talk to people on the bus, of course), but he quickly realizes that his vacation might not provide the welcome respite from human interaction that he was hoping for.  Wolf is a truly fantastic character that is sure to please with the preschool and early elementary crowd. His surly attitude and general aversion to all people provides plenty of opportunity for hilarious situations that kids will love! The illustrations are quirky and colorful, which adds even more humor to the already comical story. This easy reader would make a fantastic read aloud or early reading book for newer readers. 

Vampire Jam Sandwich Written by Casey Lyall Illustrated by Nici Gregory Toronto: Tundra, 2025. Picture book.  We all know what happens when a vampire bites a human...but you might not know that if a vampire takes a careless bite of a jam sandwich, that sandwich might become a vampire too! This sinister predator now prowls the night, stealing away every last dollop of jam, seeking to quench its endless thirst. To keep your jam safe, it's probably a good idea to hide it all outside where the vampire jam sandwich will never think to look... As readers listen to the narrator's dire warnings, the illustrations quickly let them in on the joke as jam continues to go missing. The limited color palette of the illustrations effectively uses red to highlight important details and incriminating evidence. A delightfully silly spooky tale.

Bear in the Air Written by Allison Wortche Illustrated by Cat Min Bear is in the air, and he likes it up there! Beautifully colored illustrations tell the story of Bear as he floats his way through the forest, passing friends and family. At first, he happily declines their invitations to join them in activities on the ground, but as time passes, he starts to feel a little tired of being in his hot air balloon. It takes a lot of courage to admit that he doesn't know how to get down!  Brightly colored and sunny characters will make any child excited to read or listen to this charming picture book! The story itself is simple, yet tells a wonderful narrative that children will be able to relate to. It can be scary to admit we don't know things, but as Bear finds out, helpful friends will always be there to step in. 

Ho! Ho! Ho! Someone's on their way! But... it's not Santa. Someone, or something else, has taken up the mantle of the jolly old elf and there's bound to be hijinks involved! Which one will you or your little one think is the most outrageous counterfeit? Here's five books about some of our favorite Claus-impersonators! Santa Claws Written by Bridget Heos Illustrated by Galia Bernstein New York: Henry Holt and Company, 2025. Picture Book. It's a Cretaceous Christmas celebration! With a Tyrannosaurus Rex taking the lead as "Santa Claws," young mosasaurs and gallimimuses are getting ready for the Christmas season and making sure to leave nice slabs of raw meat out for the titular character. Dinosaur-loving young ones will enjoy seeing the prehistoric creatures doing similar holiday prep as they are, while older readers will enjoy the informational back matter. All in all, nothing beats a rhyming text packed with Cretaceous vocabulary and seeing a t-rex in a sl...

Have you ever cast a wish into the universe, hoping for a little magic? Books are filled with magical stories that offer us a glimpse into the world of wishes being granted. However, the path to these wishes coming true is never a straight line; it's often a winding road where valuable lessons are learned before a wish comes true. If you love books about wishes, here are a few stories that just might spark your imagination.   The Fish of Small Wishes Written by Elana K. Arnold Illustrated by Magdalena Mora New York: Roaring Brook Press, 2024. Picture Book. Kiki discovers a giant fish that is slowly dying on the road. She rescues the fish by putting it into her tub at home. The fish is so grateful to be saved he offers to grant her a wish, but with a catch; it is after all, a "fish of small wishes". Kiki really wants to wish for lots of friends or to be less shy but all of her wishes are to big for the small fish to grant. However, as the fish continues to grow, Kiki takes...

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...