Picture Books
May 2025
Recent Releases
Night Light
by Michael Emberley

When an adorable young monster is scared during a blackout, their parent uses the stars to provide comfort. This whimsical graphic novel pairs simple speech-bubble text with clear visual storytelling, making it just right for beginning readers. For fans of: author Michael Emberley’s I Did It! and Let's Go!, featuring the same character.
Are You a Hungry Monster?
by Guilherme Karsten

Hello, monster friend! Are you hungry? I have a MONSTROUS snack for you! Can you smell it? It's SO YUMMY! Open the book and share this delicious feast with me...
No Huddles for Heloise
by Deborah Kerbel

In this humorous picture book, Heloise the penguin doesn't like huddling with her friends (it gives her the collywobbles), so she sets off to find others like her but discovers there's no place like home -- especially when your friends support you.
Don't Trust Fish
by Neil Sharpson; illustrated by Dan Santat

While it might begin with innocuous animal introductions, this picture book soon reveals its bias, declaring that all fish are sneaky, rebellious outlaws who absolutely CAN’T be trusted. Kids and adults alike will appreciate the clever visual humor in this uproarious read-aloud, laughing all the way to the end (where the unreliable narrator is revealed).
Through Sand and Salt
by Elizabeth Zunon

A boy joins his father's caravan transporting salt across the trade route to Timbuktu, discovering that salt does more than preserve and flavor food. With its essential roles in trade, ritual, civilizations and people's bodies, salt sustains life.
Color Our World
Check out some books about art and artists. If we don't have them here in Smithers, we can request them via interlibrary loan!
 
Oh, Olive!
by Lian Cho

Although her parents are serious painters devoted to minimalist precision, rambunctious and ultra-confident young Olive expresses herself through bold splashes of color. Can this family of artists learn to understand each other? Try Blurp’s Book of Manners by Cindy Derby for another funny, color-drenched tale of challenging the status quo.
The Concrete Garden
by Bob Graham

Visuals are paramount in this hopeful, colorfully illustrated post-lockdown tale. After a long and lonely pandemic winter, all the children in an apartment building spill outside to adorn the courtyard with chalk art, bringing joy to the whole neighborhood.
Nola's Scribbles Save the Day
by Cristina Lalli

While trying to force her free-form sketches into a more traditional style, Nola creates a “big, boring blank” -- and suddenly finds herself inside it! Young makers who may have felt stifled by expectations will enjoy this imaginative take on escaping from creative block.
Time to Make Art
by Jeff Mack

In this playfully philosophical picture book, a child wonders: How long does art take? Can it have mistakes? How should it feel? These questions (and more) are addressed by an inclusive array of real-life artists, showcasing styles from across the ages and the globe.
The Artist
by Ed Vere

A rainbow-colored creature revels in making art. Her murals -- illustrated with the verve of a real child's drawings -- delight her neighbors. But is the thrill of creation worth the inevitable setbacks? This tale of learning through mistakes will speak to artists of all ages. Read-alikes: Danielle Davis and Mags DeRoma's To Make or Peter H. Reynolds' The Dot.
Contact your librarian for more great books for ages 0-8!
Smithers Public Library
3817 Alfred Avenue, PO Box 55
Smithers, British Columbia V0J 2N0
250-847-3043

smithers.bc.libraries.coop