Provo Library Children's Book Blog

  I have two young kids. And their feelings are always SO BIG! The joy, anger, sadness. All of it is always big feelings. There are some new picture books that are good at talking about feelings with toddlers. Here are some of my favorites:  Because of a Shoe   By Julie Fogliano  Illustrated by Marla Frazee  New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2026. Picture Book.  This book makes me laugh out loud as a parent. It talks all about how a young child won’t put on their shoes and instead goes through all the emotions (including responding to the frustrated emotions of their caregiver). Read this to the children who have meltdowns over what seem like small things (and then trigger possible grownup meltdowns as well). They will see all the emotions and feelings that build and bubble and burst into the world when things don’t go exactly as planned. Delightfully real.  A Book of Loves   By Cythia Rylant  New York: Beach Lane Books, 2026. Picture Book.  In...

The Jewish holiday Sukkot, or Feast of Tabernacles, is an annually held fall holiday. Arriving shortly after Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, Sukkot recognizes the exodus from Egypt and when the Israelites had to live in temporary shelters. Sukkot started just last Friday night, and currently, Jewish families all over the world will be eating or living in temporary houses called "sukkahs." I saw my first sukkahs when my family and I lived in Jerusalem. I loved seeing the way my neighbors celebrated and I love that now we have so many picture books to learn about how different Jewish families celebrate Sukkot. If you are celebrating Sukkot yourself, or want to learn about this holiday, check out these picture books about the Feast of Tabernacles. חג שמח! Our Spectacular Sukkah Written by Sidura Ludwig Illustrated by Sophia Vincent Guy Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press, 2026. Picture Book. A Jewish family is setting up their sukkah and are excited to eat, play, and sing in it. Then...

Fairy tales and books about royalty are classics in the children's literary world for a reason. The fantastical worlds featured in these stories open up a whole world of imagination for even the youngest readers. These five picture books about princesses are great options for readers that love fairy tales! The Paper Bag Princess Written by Robert Munsch Illustrated by Michael Martchenko Toronto, Canada: Annick Press, 1992. Picture Book.  This classic picture book is about a spunky princess named Elizabeth, who is tasked with rescuing her fiancé, Prince Ronald, after a dragon destroys her castle and burns all of her clothes. Forced to outsmart the dragon in nothing but a paper bag dress, Elizabeth puts her courage to the test and learns the importance of standing up for herself. The Princess and the Greedy Pea By Leigh Hodgkinson Somerville, Massachusetts: Candlewick Press, 2023. Picture Book.  In this silly book, a blend of the classic fairy tale The Princess and the Pea and t...

The Warriors Books, commonly called The Warrior Cats books, have been a beloved series for many readers. Filled action and adventure, love and heartbreak, battles and prophecies, it's no wonder that readers for generations have come to love these books about wild and gone-wild cats. The following books are for those wanting to get into the Warrior Cat series but feel daunted by the great number of books and series. Most of these adaptations of the original series books made into graphic novels created by dedicated teams of artists and writers to bring The Warriors books to a new generation. All are books that new and old fans of the series will love. This list also includes a new series by Erin Hunter, a book about magical cats. By the way, did you know that Erin Hunter is a pen name? Erin Hunter is actually a group of writers and editors, namely Kate Cary, Cerith Balry, Tui T. Sutherland, and Victoria Holmes, and more! May StarClan guide you to your next favorite read!    The...

Halloween is hands down the best holiday of the year (in this humble librarian's opinion), and as such, deserves to be celebrated with some dope parties!  If you concur, keep reading! Ghoulicious Halloween Treats Written by Ruthie Van Oosbree North Mankato, Minnesota : Capstone Press, a Capstone imprint, 2026. Informational. 32 pgs. No party is complete without treats! Bonus points if you theme your treats!  Ghoulicious Halloween Treats is filled to the broom (Ha!) with fun and spooky treats ideas, perfect for your next Halloween shindig.   Pumpkin Carving! Written by Renée Kurilla New York : Odd Dot, 2022. Informational. 47 pgs.  If you fancy yourself an artist, let a pumpkin be your canvas!  Pumpkin carving is always a huge hit for any age and a great Halloween party activity.  Whether you like classic or spooky, silly or unique, Pumpkin Carving! is sure to get the creative (pumpkin) juices flowing! Spooky Haunted House: DIY Cobwebs, Coffins, and Mor...

Grandparents can be an essential part of a young child's life. There are a variety of ways that grandparents are involved with grandchildren. Sometimes a grandparent fills the role of a primary caregiver. Other times, grandparents are available as an extra support system in addition to parents. There are also times when grandparents don't live close, and aren't able to spend nearly as much time with their grandchildren as they would like. No matter the particular situation, these books about grandparents might help a child in your life see themselves in the books, or think about another person whose life and circumstances are very different from their own. When We Were Snails By Nan Cao New York, NY : Crown Books for Young Readers, 2026. Picture Book. A young girl's mother has to go far away for work, and that means she will be staying with her grandparents. Like many young kids losing the comfort and security a parent provides, there are moments of sadness and struggle...

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...

Roar-choo! Written by Charlotte Cheng Illustrated by Dan Santat New York: Rocky Pond Books, 2024. Picture Book. Dragon is strong. Dragon is fierce. Dragon also has a cold. Phoenix is trying to help Dragon relax and drink tea to get better, but Dragon refuses help because “Dragons never quit.” But when Dragon’s firey sneezes make problems for Phoenix, Dragon acknowledges that sometimes a nap is needed. Merdaddy By Wednesday Kirwan New York: Greenwillow Books, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, 2024. Picture Book. M erdaddy and Merbaby are playing amongst jellyfish and sharks. As the two play and explore, Merdaddy starts to notice that Merbaby’s fingers look like raisins and that it’s probably time to get out. Merbaby cries underwater tears as the scene shifts from an underwater landscape to a baby playing pretend in the bathtub. Wee Unicorn By Meg McLaren Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge, 2023. Picture Book. Wee Unicorn isn’t magic like everyone expects her to be. But what problem she c...

Did you know that we experience eclipses of the sun and moon every year? This year the Solar eclipse was on August 12th and blocked out the sun for a full 2 minutes. Did you see it? It's okay if you missed it, because we're going to have a lunar eclipse on August 28th. Earth is one of the few planets that experience solar eclipses. Here are some books to learn more about eclipses, what they've meant to the people that view them, and other fun space facts.  Eclipse of 1919: How Einstein's Theory of General Relativity Changed Our World  By Emily Arnold McCully New York: Christy Ottaviano Books, 2025. Informational. Albert Einstein has always had a curious mind, fascinated with the laws of the universe and finding ways to explain how it all worked together. He had a theory, an idea, that gravity is what happens when objects bend the space and time around them. But gravity isn't something easily seen so to test his hypothesis, he needed to see if the gravity of the sun ...

  One of my favorite sea creatures is a jellyfish. Any time I go to an aquarium, I always find myself frozen in place watching as they seem to float through their tanks. So naturally, I find myself looking forward to it any time I hear that there is going to be a new jellyfish book published. Here are some of my favorite books about our majestic aquatic friends. Fourteen Ways of Looking at a Jellyfish Written by Carole Boston Weatherford Illustrated by Bagram Ibatoulline Somerville, Massachusetts : Candlewick Press, 2026. Informational. This charming book about jellyfish describes the beautiful creatures through 14 different poems. It combines poetry, facts, history, and science to explain how jellyfish live, survive, and interact with the ocean. This book could just as easily be used to teach kids about art techniques as it could about jellyfish. Each poem appears on a beautifully illustrated full page spread, and the illustration style changes for each poem to fit the tone. This ...