Provo Library Children's Book Blog

Color Changing Animals by Valerie Yaw Bearport Publishing, 2011. 24 pages. Nonfiction. Have you ever wanted to change how you look? This book tells about eight animals that have the power to do just that--changing their colors to hide themselves, startle an enemy, or even communicate. The large, colorful photographs are fascinating and fun to look at, and the author does a great job of explaining how and why each animal changes. One of the most clever is the mimic octopus, who keeps predators from attacking by changing both its color and shape to disguise itself. For example, when a damselfish is about to attack, the mimic octopus will imitate the wide color stripes of a sea snake, and actually bury six of its arms in the sand so that only two are showing. It spreads these arms out to complete its sea snake disguise, fooling the damselfish into leaving it alone. This book is just one of the Animals with Super Powers series. Other great books in this series are Electric A...

Why Do I Have to Make My Bed? Or, A History of Messy Rooms by Wade Bradford, illustrated by Johanna van der Sterre Tricycle Press, 2011. Unpaged. Picture Book The age-old question, why should one make one's bed since it's just going to get messy again anyway, is answered in the usual unsatisfactory way in this tour through the ages of children asking. As each child asks, each mother is reminded of her grandmother, or her great-grandmother, or her ever-so-many times great-great grandfather and how he/she didn't want to make his/her bed either. The pioneer girl has already "dusted off Pa's fiddle," picked up her marbles, lasso, and rag doll so why should she have to make her bed? The Roman boy has already "unclogged the aqueducts, dusted off the statues, and picked up after the gladiators," and the Viking girl has already "stoked the fire . . . , dusted off the sacred blowing horn . . . , and patched up Father's war wounds," so why should...

Itsy Mitsy Runs Away Written and Illustrated by Elanna Allen Atheneum Books for Young Readers, c2011. Unpaged picture book. Mitsy may be itsy bitsy, but she has a gigantic will of her own. She hates bedtime, and decides to run away to avoid it altogether. Her dad helps her pack for her getaway. It starts out easily enough, with Mitsy packing a stuffed animal friend, but her suitcase soon grows heavy as she packs everything from her dog "Pupcake" to a reading lamp. In the end, she is so exhausted from her packing adventure, she falls fast asleep. Itsy Mitsy is a fun twist in the style of "The House That Jack Built" and "There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly." Author and illustrator Elanna Allen has created a great, spunky character in Mitsy. The artwork and font are detailed and adorable!

If Rocks Could Sing By Leslie McGuirk Tricycle Press, 2011. Unpaged picture book. If Rocks Could Sing is a fun new picture book for fans of Food for Thought by Saxton Freymann. Leslie McGuirk has been collecting unusual rocks along the shore for years. This book is a whimsical presentation of her collection, including rocks in the shape of every letter of the alphabet. There are shapes to accompany every letter, from rabbits to noses, and even a question mark. Some pages have added props which add more color and whimsy to the selection. Overall, this is a cute and imaginative concept. It's a good selection for reading one on one, especially to help children who are just learning their letters.

Words in the Dust Arthur A. Levine Books, 2011. 266 pages. Fiction. Words in the Dust is about a young girl named Zulaikah, who comes of age in Afghanistan as the Taliban is being driven out. She has a cleft pallet, and all the neighborhood children torment her. Zulaikah worries that she will never be married because she feels so ugly. When the American soldiers come into town, a doctor provides her with the opportunity to be healed. Zulaikah also meets a teacher named Meena, who offers to teach her how to read and write. Whereas beauty and education used to be dangerous attributes in a young single woman, in the new Afghanistan they are a measure of worth. Trent Reedy has written a phenomenal first novel based on his own experiences in the Middle East. This is a truly special book that blends culture and tradition with current events. It could be another Newbery contender! Appropriate for 5th grade and up.

Takeshita Demons by Cristy Burne Frances Lincoln, 2011. 136 pgs. Fiction Miku Takeshita's family has moved from Japan to England--and so have the demons who have plagued them since a pillar was placed upside down in their house. Miku places cedar leaves over the door to keep the family safe but when they are removed, a cold blast of a demon gets in under the guise of collecting for the Red Cross. Things get really weird really fast when Miku's substitute teacher, Mrs. Okuda, turns out to be a nukekubi , a creature with a detachable head that flies at night looking for children and puppies to eat. When Miku's mother winds up in the hospital and her father is trapped by a snowstorm, it is up to Miku and her friend Cait to rescue themselves and Miku's baby brother by getting rid of Mrs. Okuda's body before her head comes flying back. Though Takeshita Demons is a quick, easy read, it is also quite scary. In one chilling scene, for instance, Cait is collecting her things...

Predator Vs. Prey Series by Mary Meinking Raintree, 2011. 31 pages. Nonfiction Looking for a book with an exciting fight to the possible death? Do you think you know how Lion Vs. Gazelle will end? How about Shark Vs. Penguin? This series has eight action packed volumes with endings more uncertain than you might think. The suspense builds as you turn the pages until you finally find out which animal is the winner. In addition to narrating the life and death struggles of each pairing, the books also give pertinent and interesting facts and figures about each competitor. The text is short and concise, and the accompanying photographs are remarkable. Other titles in this series are Polar Bear Vs. Seal, Owl Vs. Mouse, Dolphin Vs. Fish, Crocodile Vs. Wildebeest, Wolf v. Elk, and Tarantula Vs. Bird.