Provo Library Children's Book Blog

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...

All my kiddos have participated in the Chinese immersion programs at their respective schools.  The first year my oldest son came home from school and told me about celebrating Lunar New Year with his first grade class, we were all hooked.  We've had so much fun as a family learning more about this amazing holiday and celebrating together.  The following books illustrate the joy and excitement of this special holiday, so read on!  Let's Celebrate Korean New Year! Written by Michelle W. Park Illustrated by Hyewon Yum New York : Random House Children's Books, 2024. Picture book. Madeleine is so excited to celebrate Lunar New Year and explain all the preparations and traditions to her sister, Eloise.  From wearing the traditional hanbok, to special foods and games, Madeleine explains why Lunar New Year is such a special and important family holiday. A glossary, activity idea, and traditional holiday recipe are found at the end of the book.   Ping's P...

  Frog and Toad Together By Arnold Lobel New York : Harper & Row, [1972]. Easy Reader. "Five further adventures of two best friends as they share cookies, plant a garden, and test their bravery." --Editor Together Written by Heather Ayris Burnell Illustrated by Hazel Quintanilla New York, NY : Scholastic Inc., 2022. Easy Reader. "In three stories, friends Unicorn and Yeti spend time with each other, watching clouds in the sky, playing copycat, and having a tea party." --Editor Flora & Ulysses Written by Kate DiCamillo Illustrated by K.G. Campbell Somerville, Mass. : Candlewick Press, 2013. Fiction. 231 pages. "Rescuing a squirrel after an accident involving a vacuum cleaner, comic-reading cynic Flora Belle Buckman is astonished when the squirrel, Ulysses, demonstrates astonishing powers of strength and flight after being revived. Can her superhero squirrel help Flora defeat her greatest enemy?" --Editor Evelyn Del Rey is Moving Away Written by Meg ...

Letters to Never Send Santa Written by David Griswold Illustrated by Luis San Vicente Fresno, CA: Moonshower, an imprint of Bushel & Peck Books, 2024. Picture Book. Most letters to Santa are very polite and full of "pleases" and "thank yous." These are not those letters. This collection of poems in different formats tell the story of children begging for Santa to overlook their misdeeds, elves on strike, disgruntled parents, Vixen quitting, a love letter, and more. These letters that you most definitely should not send to Santa are laugh out loud funny and illustrations are personalized for each letter, some with childish scrawl and some with formal business formatting. This book would make a great family read aloud, especially if you wanted to choose one or two a day to read. With how many different rhyme patterns there were, this would be a great exercise to study rhyme schemes. I really liked how the illustrations are drawn to look like documents, for example...

Attending a performance of The Nutcracker ballet is a favorite holiday tradition for many families. Ballet West performs it every year at the Capital Theater in Salt Lake City. It is based on a story by E.T.A. Hoffman that was adapted for the ballet by Alexandre Dumas.  Tchaikovsky composed the music, and it was first performed in St. Petersburg, Russia in 1892. The following five stories collectively celebrate the joy of dance, the anticipation of performance, and the delight of participating in a beloved holiday tradition.  The Night Before The Nutcracker Written by John Robert Allman Illustrated by Julianna Swaney New York : Doubleday Books for Young Readers, 2022. Picture book The Night Before The Nutcracker offers a playful, behind-the-scenes look at how dancers, musicians, and stage crews prepare for opening night of the beloved holiday ballet. Written in a lively, rhyming style inspired by ’Twas the Night Before Christmas , the book captures the excitement, nerves, and...

Socks : A Kid's Christmas Lament Written by JD McPherson Illustrated by Anika Orrock Somerville, Mass. : Walker Books US, a division of Candlewick Press, 2024. Picture Book. Based on the song by JD McPherson,  Socks: A Kid’s Christmas Lament  follows a child's angst when they discover their Christmas gifts turn out to be practical socks instead of fun toys and surprises. A little bit naughty and a lot hilarious! As an adult, I love a good pair of socks as a gift!  In fact, a lot of the adults in my life actively ask for socks when Christmas rolls around.  But the kids I know...not so much.  The protagonist in Socks is the embodiment of kids everywhere, if not how they actually act when receiving practical gifts, then at least how they feel in their hearts.  Grown-ups and kids alike will get a kick out this book, but care-givers may want to use it to discuss better ways to handle gift disappointment than by starting revolutions in the streets. 

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...

It's almost time for the holidays, which means Santa's workshop up in the North Pole is getting very busy! Check out these picture books to find out what life at the North Pole is really like for Santa and the elves, and don't forget to write your letters to Santa in time! Secrets from the North Pole Written by Saskia Gwinn Illustrated by Daria Danilova London, UK: Frances Lincoln Children's Books, 2025. Picture book. 63 pages. Get the inside scoop on life at the North Pole! Ivy Everjingle, Santa's Head Elf, takes readers on a behind-the-scenes tour of the North Pole, with diagrams of Santa and Mrs. Claus' workshops, explanations of the magic of the post office, information about reindeer training and maneuvers, and more--all while maintaining the secrets of an 1821 elven security act. A visual delight with plenty to explore in both the text and illustrations of the magical location. Through the North Pole Snow Written by Polly Faber Illustrated by Richard Jone...

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 ...

It seems like towards the end of the year there's holiday after holiday to celebrate. One of my favorite holidays that often gets overlooked is Día de los Muertos. Day of the Dead is an excellent opportunity to take time to celebrate those in our family who came before us as the year ends. So if you want to celebrate (hopefully) before all of the books are already checked out, here are some of my favorite books to celebrate the holiday. The Invisible Parade Written by Leigh Bardugo Illustrated by John Picacio New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2025. Picture Book. This picture book by Leigh Bardugo (who you may know from her Six of Crows YA series) beautifully depicts the loss of a loved one through the eyes of a young child who recently lost her grandfather. Cala can’t focus on Día de los Muertos preparations like the rest of her family. When they head to the cemetery, Cala is separated from her family and swept up by four mythical horsemen who eventually help her find her way th...

Abe Lincoln's Dream By Lane Smith New York: Roaring Brook Press, 2012. Picture Book. Ghost Cat Written by Eve Bunting Illustrated by Kevin M. Barry Ann Arbor, MI: Sleeping Bear Press, 2017. Picture Book. Goldfish Ghost Written by Lemony Snicket Illustrated by Lisa Brown New York: Roaring Brook Press, 2017. Picture Book. The Lady of the Library Written by Angie Karcher Illustrated by Rachel Sanson Ann Arbor, MI: Sleeping Bear Press, 2021. Picture Book. A Friend for Ghost By Suzanne Kaufman New York: Holiday House, 2022. Picture Book Yikes! It's Haunted By Rourke Educational Media Greensboro, NC: Rourke Educational Media, Carson Dellosa Education, 2019. Informational. 192 pages. Not So Ghoul Written by Karen Yin Illustrated by Bonnie Lui Salem, MA: Page Street Kids, 2022. Picture Book. Sir Simon: Super Scarer By Cale Atkinson Toronto: Tundra Books, 2018. Picture Book. The Night Gardener By Jonathon Auxier New York: Amulet Books, 2014. Fiction. 350 pages. Hide and Seeker By Daka H...

Pumpkin and Beetle: Two Vampire Cats By Jannie Ho New York: Holiday House, 2025. Comics. 70 pages. Pumpkin and Beetle are vampire cats and very best friends, and they desperately want the latest issue of their favorite comic book. But they don't have any money! The intrepid feline friends start out on various money making ventures --with varying degrees of success. Right before despair, an offer to barter comes from an unlikely source! This graphic novel is perfectly for emerging readers. Cartoons in a Halloween-y color palette are big and easy to read with lots of different sized panels to keep readers engaged. The text is printed in an easy-to-read font without too many extra words. And, while Pumpkin and Beetle's village is populated by various ghouls and goblins, their barely scary appearance makes for a fright free adventure. For young readers wanting a Halloween story they won't be scared of --look no further!

  Clara Voyant By Rachelle Delaney Toronto: Puffin, 2019. Fiction. 213 pages. Clara can't believe her no-nonsense grandmother has just up and moved to Florida, leaving Clara and her mother on their own for the first time. Clara tries to make the best of a bad situation by joining the newspaper staff at her new middle school so she can tell the kind of hard-news stories her grandmother appreciated. But the editor relegates her to boring news stories and worse....the horoscopes. Worse yet, her horoscopes come true, and soon everyone at school is talking about Clara Voyant, the talented fortune-teller. Clara is horrified--horoscopes and clairvoyance aren't real, she insists, just like her grandmother always told her. But when a mystery unfolds at school, she finds herself in a strange situation; having an opportunity to prove herself as an investigative journalist....with the help of her own mystical powers. --Publisher Fortune Tellers  By Lisa Greenwall New York: Katherine Tegen...

  Fireworks Written by Matthew Burgess Illustrated by Cátia Chien New York: Clarion Books, 2025. Picture Book. In this beautiful picture book, kids spend the perfect summer day in the city. They dance in the water of a fire hydrant, walk through the park to the bodega, eat watermelon, listen to music, and finally, watch a fireworks show. Onomatopoeia words throughout make this a great choice for younger kids, while older kids will still love the holiday spirit. The illustrations are really what set this book apart from other summer stories. Bright colors bring the joy of summer and the titular fireworks display is STUNNING! Be prepared to hear about this book in the lead up to the Caldecott Awards this year, or check it out now to read with your kids to celebrate the Independence Day holiday coming up.

 In a few months we will be celebrating a  lesser known holiday that is recognized in the United States as June 19th, or Juneteenth. This holiday commemorates the day that slavery ended in the United States. It is also called, “Independence Day," “Freedom Day” or “Emancipation Day.” To help you learn more about this important holiday we have a list of books you can read. So Many Years: A Juneteenth Story Written by Anne Wynter Illustrated by Jerome Pumphrey New York: Clarion Books, 2025. Informational. A picture book that explains the history behind the Juneteenth celebrations and how it became a national holiday in 2021. Beautiful illustrations along with the lyrics of, "Lift Every Voice and Sing," explain the history of what Juneteenth honors and how it has been celebrated through the years. The story goes back and forth in time showing images of enslaved people along with modern-day pictures of Juneteenth parades and celebrations.  A great book to help teach why Junet...