Provo Library Children's Book Blog

Read at Stories in the Park Marlo and the Dinosaurs By Christopher Browne Balzer + Bray, 2018.  Picture Book. When Marlo wakes up from his afternoon nap, he spots something curious....  His investigation brings him into a lush jungle, where a whole new world full of colorful dinosaurs of every size awaits him.  With clever seek-and-find elements on each spread, this book is a feast of imagination and visual delights.  --Publisher Read at Stories in the Park Aliens Love Dinopants Written by Claire Freedman Illustrated by Ben Cort Aladdin, 2015.  Picture Book. When a group of aliens crash-lands in the jungle, they stumble upon the biggest stash of underpants ever.  But the oversized owners of the underwear treasure aren't going to back down without a fight!  This latest laugh-out-loud tale in the bestselling Underpants Books series brings together aliens and dinosaurs in one interstellar, prehistoric, pants-tastic adventur...

Dolly Parton Written by Ma Isabel S á nchez Vergara Illustrated by Daria Solak Frances Lincoln Children's Books, an imprint of The Quarto Group, 2019. Informational. How did Dolly Parton become the country star we know of today? Where did she begin, and what has she accomplished along the way? While Dolly Parton is known for her beautiful voice and bold look, she came from humble beginnings and continues to give back to those in similar situations. Read this adorably-illustrated biography to learn all about her and the events that helped shape her into who she is today, from singing on the radio after school to opening a grand theme park.

Doreen Rappaport was born in New York City in a home filled with music. Her mother was a singer and her father was a musical arranger. With this musical background, Doreen studied the piano and became a junior high music teacher after graduating from Brandeis University. In 1965 she began teaching in McComb, Mississippi and realized that there was a large part of American history which she had never really understood. Doreen began to write books about people's struggles against oppression to bring light to less well known parts of history. She is now the award-winning author of over 60 children's books which celebrate the lives of those who have overcome hard things to make an impact on the world. Walt's imagination: the life of Walt Disney Written by Doreen Rappaport Illustrated by John Pomeroy From his childhood in rural Missouri to his legendary stature as a film and television icon, Walt governed his life with imagination, ingenuity, and scrupulous attention to...

Leyla By Galia Bernstein Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2019. Picture book. Leyla has a mother, a father, nine aunts, and twenty-three cousins and they are all noisy, busy, and constantly fussing over her. Leyla just wants a little peace and quiet - so she runs away. She runs away so far she can't hear, see, or smell her family and she's totally alone except for a lizard. A lizard who teaches her how sit quietly and do nothing until Leyla is recharged and ready to return to her family. Leyla is a wonderfully expressive little baboon who learns that a little downtime and self-care can do wonders to clear a mind. This beautifully drawn picture book is a sweet introduction to meditation for littles.

Rumple Buttercup: A Story of Bananas, Belonging, and Being Yourself By Matthew Gray Gubler Random House, 2019. Intermediate. Rumple Buttercup knows that he is weird-looking. He has only five teeth, and they’re all crooked, and he only has three hairs on his head, plus green skin. He lives in a sewer, with only Candy Corn Carl, the imaginary friend that he made out of candy and trash. Rumple dreams of living outside the sewer grate, where he would be able to participate in all of the fun that he sees happening every day. But he knows that his appearance makes him look like a monster, and that people would think he was weird. So he hides out in his sewer, pretending to be a part of the outside world, but feeling more sad and lonely each day. But when something unexpected happens, he’s surprised to learn the outside world isn’t quite what he thought it would be. Rumple Buttercup is a sweet character, who longs for friendship and fun. His story is fun to follow because we can all ...

Francisco X. Stork was born in Monterrey, Mexico to a single mother. When his mother eventually married, they moved to the United States. Stork's adoptive father supported his young desire to pursue writing, which eventually lead to him attending a private high school, and later a university, on scholarship. He then received a prestigious fellowship to study Latin American literature at Harvard. Before launching into his writing career, Stork studied at Columbia Law School and practiced law for twenty years. He has written seven novels, five of which are displayed below. Note that these are adult and young adult fiction novels, not children's novels. Disappeared By Francisco X. Stork Four months ago Sara Zapata's best friend, Linda, disappeared from the streets of Juarez, and ever since Sara has been using her job as a reporter to draw attention to the girls who have been kidnapped by the criminals who control the city, but now she and her family are being threatene...

I Will Race You Through This Book!  By Jonathan Fenske Penguin Workshop, 2019. 32 p. This is a STELLER easy reader for those who need a little acclimation for having read a book all on their own. In this story Book-It Bunny has challenged the reader to a race—a race to get to the end of the book first. Book-It Bunny is sure that he is going to be the best reader…only it turns out that the reader is pretty good at actually reading the book. Book-It Bunny tries all the trickiest tricks in the book to win the race (sneaking, getting a head-start, etc.) to make it to the end first. Readers who like beating tricky characters who break the fourth wall and talk to readers will enjoy this. And, perhaps it will be just the book to help those early readers start to feel the confidence to read with speed and gusto.