Provo Library Children's Book Blog

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.

Floor It! Written by Bex Tobin Fine Illustrated by Federico Fabiani New York: Random House, 2025. Picture book. The racer approaches the starting line, gets set to race and then ... floors it! Baby is on the way! With dynamic text and entrancing illustrations, we see a baby hard at work crawling through their living room. As they race through the room, everyday obstacles become fantastical thanks to illustrations that show the living room as it appears and how it might be imagined during play time. The race finishes with a checkered flag (a sock on baby's parent's foot) and a lift up to a warm embrace and snuggle.  This playful, high energy book is a read aloud of a family at play! Baby's play feels fun and realistic, and shows how littles can explore independently while still within the secure reach of a caregiver. High energy illustrations and naturally rhyming text make a perfect read aloud and gender neutral language used throughout make this a great book for families w...

Lots of kids LOVE to sing! Singing is especially fun with friends and caregivers, but it doesn't always feel natural to burst into song (well, for some of us). These board books are great because they take classic tunes and put them with fun illustrations and some of them put new words and themes to the music.  The Llamas in the Field Written by Aly Fronis Illustrated by Luke Flowers New York: Little Bee Books, 2020. Board Book. Set to the tune of "The Wheels on the Bus," this book is perfect for kids who love making animal sounds. At this farm, we get to sing about all different kinds of animals and what noises they make, and many of them we don't hear about all the time. Sure, we have the familiar cows, but also coyotes, alpacas, and of course llamas! I'm a Little Snowman Written by Hannah Eliot Illustrated by Anna Daviscourt New York: Little Simon, 2022. Board Book. Set to "I'm a Little Teapot," this book describes a fun winter's day with snow...

The wrath of a toddler can be astounding! They can conjure full body, full volume reactions to things you and I might find insignificant. There are a lot of great books in our collection about anger (we list sixty-two in our RX Literature binder,) but I’m focusing on picture books that speak to the fury that very young children deal with as they navigate this big, tricky world. Anger can be intense, but all feelings are temporary and manageable.  Mad at Dad By Janie Hao Toronto: Kids Can Press, 2024. Picture Book. Dynamic, expressive, and universal,  Mad at Dad is light on words, but heavy with truth, including the pitfalls of calming techniques and the toll anger takes on our bodies. The flaps in this book expand with the little girl's strong, uncontainable feelings. And I love her eyebrow. Little Mad Written by Nadine Brun-Cosme Illustrated by Marion Cocklico New York: Little Simon, 2021. Board Book. Here's a board book for audiences with short fuses and even shorter attent...

Board books are foundational in getting children ready to read independently, but they don't always get the attention they deserve. Board books, and their chunky cardboard pages, are great for developing fine motor skills. Their durability is key in helping toddlers and babies learn the mechanics of reading, like how and when to turn a page. Plus, they are typically short in length which allows for lots of re-reading (repetition is key for vocabulary building) and lots of conversation while reading. Board books sometimes get the short end of the stick, but today is all about five of our favorite board books this year (and why you should share them with your favorite babies and toddlers)! Dinosaurs in Trucks Because Hey, Why Not? By Sandra Boynton New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2024. Board Book. If you are looking to get into board books, Sandra Boynton is never a bad place to turn. A master of the genre for decades, her books are humorous and very readable. Featuring rhyming ...

  Some of These Are Snails By Carter Higgins San Francisco: Chronicle Books, 2023. Picture Book. Is it a green circle? Or is it a snail? Much like in her previous book, Circle Under Berry , Carter Higgins' singsong words describe how different shapes can be made into animals. These simply colored shapes help teach sorting and comparison by encouraging the reader to identify what makes the different shapes similar to or different from each other. This book is an absolute treat to read out loud. The words dance on your tongue as you describe the different sizes and colors portrayed in this book. But you won't want to read too quickly because kids will want to search the page to answer the questions of "Who's stripiest?" or "Who's spottiest?" Overall, it's a great read aloud for young children that helps teach comparison, colors, and shapes.

 If you have a budding animal lover, here are some good picture books geared towards toddlers. These are all about animals, but each one offers something a little more than just pictures. There are books with counting and calls-to-action and so much more. Snakes on the Job By Kathryn Dennis New York: Feiwel and Friends, 2020. Picture Book. These snakes are hard at work! They are operating cranes and working on the road. There are lots of snake noises and easy-to- read words that are perfect for your animal loving toddler. Big Green Crocodile Written by Jane Newberry Illustrated by Carolina Rabei Herefordshire: Otter-Barry Books, 2020. Picture Book. This picture book will have your child moving and grooving with fun rhymes that match different types of animals. This Is a Dog Book! Written by Judith Henderson Illustrated by Julien Chung Toronto, ON: Kids Can Press, 2021. Picture Book. Bunny desperately wants to be in this dog book! So he's come up with a plan to convince a pack of do...

  Toddlers and Preschoolers have a lot to learn. One of the things they need to learn about are feelings and emotions. Sometimes it is hard to talk about all the different feelings. Thankfully, books can help! Here is a list of different books that you can read with a little one to help talk about different emotions, feelings, and whatnot to help them understand what they are.  Don’t Blow Your Top!  Written by Ame Dyckman  Illustrated by Abhi Alwar  New York: Orchard Books, an imprint of Scholastic Inc., 2023. Picture Book. This may be my new favorite book on emotions. It shows what to do when a volcano gets angry (a bird accidentally drops a coconut on the volcano…then another…) Big Volcano reminds Little Volcano to breathe, count, and think happy thoughts. This works the first time around, but not quite the second time. And Little Volcano EXPLODES! Then has to apologize for the outburst. This is a great book that has personally helped my little one learn how t...

Sleepy Sheepy Written by Lucy Ruth Cummins Illustrated by Pete Oswald New York : Flamingo Books, 2023. Picture Book. When it is time for bed, Sleepy Sheepy's exhausted parents tell him that it is time to go to sleep. But despite how sleepy our little sheep looks, he says that he is not sleepy! Instead he goes on to stall bedtime by playing with blocks, knitting socks, getting a bedtime snack, and all kinds of mischief before he begins to realize that he just might be sleepy after all.   This rhyming picture book is perfect to read to littles ones before bedtime. Toddlers and preschoolers will enjoy this silly story with fun illustrations by Pete Oswald and a relatable story by Lucy Ruth Cummins  that parents will find entertaining as well. 

No Snowball! By Isabella Kung Orchard Books, 2022. Picture Book. Queen NoFuzzball (who you may have met in the first book in the series,  No Fuzzball! ) loves reigning her kingdom. Her subjects chant her name "No Fuzzball!" when she does things like ride the Roomba around. One day though, a new kitten comes who the Queen is not so sure about. Although she doesn't appear to be hostile (her first words are "Hi, I love you! Who are you?") NoFuzzball wants nothing to do with her. That is until she sees the kitten sneak attack the unsuspecting dog who also lives in the house with them. NoFuzzball thinks with the right training she just might have what it takes to become princess of the realm. So she teaches her how to groom, how to hide, and how to shred up the living room curtains. Anyone who has had a younger sibling that they are unsure about will appreciate NoFuzzball's plight to maintain reign of the kingdom. The drawings are fun and this is a great read alo...

  Bear Has a Belly  By Jane Whittingham  Pajama Press, 2022. Picture Book. This is a great book to read with toddlers (or babies)! On each spread the text reads with three lines that all end in a particular animal part followed by “I do too!” that kids can repeat together. For example, the first page reads, “Rabbit has ears—Long, floppy ears. Rabbit has ears. I do too!” With bright pictures of animals as well as kids showing off the various body parts (eyes, back, nose, etc.), kids will enjoy looking at the animal and the child before looking for their own feet or belly or whatnot. This will be a happy edition to any story time or toddler’s reading time.

 One of the favorite things to eat this time of year (at least in my house) are candy canes. The kids I know and love tend to get especially excited about the idea of eating the red and white sugary treat that is shaped like a shepherd’s crook. Now I know that books at the library aren’t something to eat (unless you are a baby who tends to eat everything…); however, they can be a treat to read with a loved one. Also, there are a lot of fun picture books with red and white covers that have come out this past year. Therefore, I have made a list of five favorite picture books with red or white covers—and put them in candy cane color order as if they were a booklist treat for the holidays. I hope you enjoy these as much as I do!  This is a Dog Book!  Written by Judith Henderson  Illustrated by Julien Chung Toronto, ON : Kids Can Press, 2021. This is a cute book all about dogs—though a bunny wearing a striped shirt wants to be included as well.  The Longer the Wait t...

  The Ugliest Monster in the World  By Luis Amavisca  Illustrated by Erica Salcedo  NubeOcho, 2021. Picture Book.  This is a silly book where a couple of monsters are trying to decide who is the uglies monster in the world. The bright, bold illustrations are full of colorful lines to create textures on each monster (and accessary) which contrast to the simple black lines that make up the background environment. Young readers will love to see the reaction to the monsters looking in the mirror (to decide who is indeed the ugliest). And those who love monsters but don’t want to be too scared when reading picture books will enjoy this pick.

  Cows Go Boo!   By Steve Webb  Illustrated by Fred Blunt  Andersen Press USA, 2021. Picture Book.  This book made me laugh out loud! And then I ran around and read it to all the library storytellers since I needed them to know about the gem of a book! There is a farm that is run by Farmer George. As readers go around the farm they learn the various sounds that different animals or things make (i.e. “pigs go oink!” or “the tractor goes vroom!”). However, those silly cows are always missing—or are they since observant young readers can spot a clue as to where the cows are hiding—and the cows don’t say what they are supposed to. Seriously, this is hysterical. And if there is a young reader who likes the idea of being scared around Halloween…but doesn’t actually want a scary book, then this is the perfect read for them!

  When Carrot Met Cookie Written by: Erica S. Perl Illustrated by: Jonathan Fenske Penguin Workshop, 2021. Picture Book. Could a vegetable and a sweet dessert become friends? In this delicious story about friendship carrot and cookie teach each other how to be a true friend. Carrot shows cookie how to dip in hummus and cookie teaches carrot how to dunk himself in milk. When some of the other vegetables and sweets make fun of this strange friendship cookie and carrot have to learn to speak up for each other and teach others how to be kind. This funny story has an important message the teaches readers about the beauty in differences. It's a tale of acceptance and forgiving others with a fun twist on food from different food groups. Children of all ages can relate with the difficulties and rewards of making new friends and everyone will enjoy reading this delicious tale.

Dumplings For Lili Written by Melissa Iwai Norton Young Readers, 2021. Picture Book. Lili loves to make dumplings with her Nai Nai. Her grandmother has taught her all the secrets for making delicious baos, from kneading the dough to making the filling that goes inside. One day Nai Nai and Lili are busy making dumplings when Nai Nai discovers that they are out of cabbage. She asks Lili to run up to the sixth floor of their apartment building and borrow some cabbage from a friend. Babica is happy to share some of her cabbage but she needs some potatoes so she asks Lili to go ask Granma on the second floor for some potatoes. Lili goes up and down the stairs taking ingredients to six different grandmothers until finally a very tired Lili returns to her apartment to help finish their dumplings  When all the food is ready six grandmothers bring the delicious food outside to celebrate the arrival of Lili's new baby brother.  This charming story introduces the reader to different cult...

  Not Now, Cow  By Tammi Sauer  Illustrated by Troy Cummings  Abrams Appleseed, 2021. Picture Book.  In this book the various farm animals are preparing for various seasons. As the animals all get ready for spring, Cow dresses for winter. As the animals get ready for summer, Cow dresses for winter. Toddler and preschool readers will giggle as they realize what season Cow is really dressed for and what happens at the end of the story. This is just a fun read for those youngsters who like animals, laughing, and are figuring out their own clothing choices.

  One-Osaurus, Two-Osaurus  By Kim Norman  Illustrated by Pierre Collet-Derby  Candlewick Press, 2021. Picture Book. This is a clever read-aloud book that is full of counting, rhymes, and dinosaurs! I can’t wait for in-person story times when we can read this to a crowd. I suspect little toddler-sized listeners will love to count (and roar) along with the story. “One-osaurus, two-osaurus…three-osaurus, four…five-osaurus, six-osaurus, seven-osaurus…ROAR!” The text is clever enough that kids will love listening, but the illustrations are such fun as well! I personally love the nervousness show by the eight-osaurus as he is waiting for the “Ready or not, here I come” osaurus. This is sure to be a new counting and dinosaur classic among read-aloud and story time crowds.

  Bubbles By: Ben Clanton Toronto: Tundra Books of Northern New York, 2021. Board Book Narwhal and Jelly are back for a new adventure in this fun board book! After Narwhal accidentally pops Jelly's bubble, they go exploring to find more bubbles all over the sea. These fun-loving friends go on to find bubbles of all sorts of shapes and sizes. This book is an absolute delight to read! The fun characters keep you engaged at every turn of the page. In addition to the darling whimsy of the story, the book includes colors, opposites, and rhyming perfect for a young one. Don't be surprised if you find yourself coming back to this one again and again. 

My Baby Loves Christmas! By: Jabari Asim Illustrated By: Tara Nicole Whitaker New York, NY: HarperFestival, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, 2019. Board Book. Baby loves everything about Christmas! From the candy canes, to the snow, she loves it all. What makes this book such a wonderful read, is the rhythmic poetry style in which it is written. Along with being a fun book to read aloud, its beautifully illustrated pages draw you right into this little family’s Christmas celebrations. My favorite part is when they are all singing Christmas carols around the piano. This book is not only a book that your baby will enjoy, it will warm your heart as you see Christmas through the eyes of a child and reflect on why you love Christmas!