EUREKA PUBLIC LIBRARY DISTRICT (Eureka, Illinois)
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Picture

August 9, 2023 | 'Every Little Kindness' by Marta Bartolj [Picture Book Review]

8/9/2023

 
Picture

Every Little Kindness

Bartolj, Marta

2021, Chronicle Books

Fiction

Grades: K - 3

Availability

ILL: print
​eBook: Libby & Hoopla
Follow the trail of good deeds in this beautiful wordless picture book to learn how small acts of kindness can make all the difference!

When one act of kindness sparks another, anything is possible! As a girl searches for her lost dog, a simple act of generosity ripples into a wave of good deeds. In the course of a single day, each considerate action weaves lives together and transforms a neighborhood for the better.

This wordless story, told in beautiful illustrations reminiscent of a graphic novel, demonstrates how every little kindness, shared from person to person, can turn a collection of strangers into a community, and—even though we might not always see it—make the world a more vibrant and compassionate place to be.

Read a review by Gennifer King:

every_little_kindness.pdf
File Size: 597 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

July 26, 2023 | 'Shy Willow' by Cat Min [Picture Book Review]

7/26/2023

 
Picture

Shy Willow

Min, Cat

2021, Levine Querido

Fiction

Grades: Pre-K - 2

Availability

ILL: print, audio-enabled book, & Spanish edition audio-enabled book
eBook: Libby & Hoopla
eAudiobook: Hoopla (book on video also available)
Willow is shy. VERY shy.

Her home is in an abandoned mailbox, and she'd rather stay put. Outside kids scream and soccer balls collide, trees look like monsters, and rain is noisy in a scary kind of way. It's much nicer to stay inside, drawing. But then a young boy drops a letter in Willow's mailbox: it's a note to the moon asking for a special favor. Willow knows that if she doesn't brave the world outside, the letter will never be delivered, and the boy will be heartbroken. Should she try? Can she?

Cat Min delivers a breathtakingly illustrated story about shyness, the power of empathy, and what it means to make a friend.

Read a review by Gennifer King:

shy_willow.pdf
File Size: 492 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

July 12, 2023 | 'Wolf's Coming' by Joe Kulka [Picture Book Review]

7/12/2023

 
Picture

Wolf's Coming

Kulka, Joe

2007, Carolrhoda Books

Fiction

Grades: Pre-K - 3; Lexile: 390L

Availablity

EPLD: print
eBook: Hoopla
As a distant howl echoes through the forest, animals quickly stop what they're doing and run for home. Look out―Wolf's coming! As the shadowy figure gets closer and closer and the day draws to a close, the animals shut the door, pull the shades, and turn out the lights. Soon the wolf's glowing eyes appear at the window and the front door opens . . . But things are not as they seem in this suspenseful, clever story, and it's the reader who's in for the biggest surprise of all!

Read a review by Nikki Smith:

wolfs_coming.pdf
File Size: 614 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

July 5, 2023 | 'No Reading Allowed' by Raj Haldar & Chris Carpenter [Picture Book Review]

7/5/2023

 
Picture

No Reading Allowed: The WORST Read-Aloud Book Ever

Haldar, Raj
Carpenter, Chris
Gladfelter, Bryce - illustrator

2020, Sourcebooks eXplore

Nonfiction

Grades: Pre-K - 3; Lexile: 320L

Availability

EPLD: print
​eBook: Libby & Hoopla
The hero had super vision.
The hero had supervision.

Man, a tea sounds great.
Manatee sounds great!

Sir Francis Bacon
Sir, France is bakin'!

What is going on here?!
You can't believe everything you hear! A single word can have many different meanings. And sometimes two words that sound alike can be spelled completely differently. Ptolemy the pterodactyl is back to show us all how absurd and fun language can be when homophones, homonyms, and tricky punctuation are at play!

No Reading Allowed allows children and their parents to laugh together while also learning something new. ​

Read a review by Gennifer King:

no_reading_allowed.pdf
File Size: 633 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

July 5, 2023 | 'Busy Betty' by Reese Witherspoon [Picture Book Review]

7/5/2023

 
Picture

Busy Betty

Witherspoon, Reese
Yan, Xindi - illustrator

2022, Flamingo Books

Fiction

Grades: Pre-K - 2

Availability

EPLD: print
ILL: audio-enabled book
Busy Betty has always been busy . . . even when she was just a baby! When Betty gives Frank a big hug, she realizes he needs a bath, PRONTO! Her best friend, Mae, is coming over, and Betty can't have the smelliest dog in the whole world! But giving Frank a bath is harder than she thought and just when everything seems impossible, with Mae's help, Betty learns she can accomplish anything with perseverance, teamwork, and one great idea.

From Reese Witherspoon comes a smart and larger-than-life character who encourages young readers to celebrate what makes them unique and realize that anything is possible!

Read a review by Nikki Smith:

busy_betty.pdf
File Size: 601 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

May 31, 2023 | 'The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend' by Dan Santat [Picture Book Review]

5/31/2023

 
Picture

The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend

Santat, Dan

2014, Little, Brown and Company

Fiction

Grades: Pre-K - 3

Availability

EPLD: print
ILL: audio-enabled book
eAudiobook: Hoopla
This magical story begins on an island far away where an imaginary friend is born. He patiently waits his turn to be chosen by a real child, but when he is overlooked time and again, he sets off on an incredible journey to the bustling city, where he finally meets his perfect match and-at long last-is given his special name: Beekle.

New York Times bestselling and award-winning author and illustrator Dan Santat combines classic storytelling with breathtaking art, creating an unforgettable tale about friendship, imagination, and the courage to find one's place in the world.

Read a review by Nikki Smith:

the_adventures_of_beekle_the_unimaginary_friend.pdf
File Size: 499 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

May 17, 2023 | 'Don't Touch That Flower!' by Alice Hemming [Picture Book Review]

5/17/2023

 
Picture

Don't Touch That Flower!

Hemming, Alice
​Slater, Nicola - illustrator

2023, Sourcebooks Jabberwocky

Fiction

Grades: Pre-K - 3

Availability

EPLD: print
eBook: Libby & Hoopla
Hello sunshine!
Hello lovely leaves.
Nice to see you back.
Squirrel is so excited. It's spring and the most perfect flower has started to blossom - and Squirrel has decided the flower is HIS.
After what happened to the leaves in autumn (THEY ALL DISAPPEARED), Squirrel's not taking any chances... He MUST keep the flower safe, and he needs his best friend Bird to help him!
But perhaps Squirrel wants to protect the flower a little too much... After all, even flowers want a little space sometimes.
Join Squirrel and Bird as they discover and explore the wonderful nature of spring... and learn a few things along the way.
A laugh-out-loud book about the changing seasons, with extra information in the back for especially curious minds Perfect as a companion reader to children learning about seasons in school A brilliant picture book that explores feelings, moods and times where we feel out of control.

Read a review by Allie Bachman:

dont_touch_that_flower.pdf
File Size: 493 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

February 22, 2023 | 'Lola and the Tree of Life' by Susan Reising [Picture Book Review]

2/22/2023

 
Picture

Lola and the Tree of Life

Reising, Susan
​Shepler, Missy - illustrator

2022, Self Published

Fiction

Grades: Pre-K - 3

Availability

EPLD: print
"Lola and the Tree of Life" is sensitively crafted to introduce children ages 4 through 8 to the idea of death as a part of life through the story of young Lola, her beloved friend Tree (a wise old oak) and her ailing grandfather. This richly illustrated, full-color book is designed to:
  • Help a child prepare for the death of a loved one or pet before it happens
  • Understand that, while death is permanent, memories, meaning and connections live on
  • Learn about natural cycles in the beautiful web of life.

The book's website, lolaandthetreeoflife.com, provides additional resources for both adults and children.

Read a review by Gennifer King:

lola_and_the_tree_of_life.pdf
File Size: 613 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

February 8, 2023 | 'Maisy Goes to the Library' by Lucy Cousins [Picture Book Review]

2/8/2023

 
Picture

Maisy Goes to the Library

Cousins, Lucy

2005, Candlewick Press

Fiction

Grades: Pre-K - 2

Availability

ILL: print
eBook: Hoopla
Maisy's plan to have a quiet read is put to the challenge by her giggling friends in this picture book ode to the pleasures of the local library.

Maisy likes going to the library.

She loves to read a book in a nice, quiet place.
​

Today, Maisy wants to read a book about fish, but she can only find books about birds or tigers. So she explores some of the other things to do in the library, like using the computer, making copies, listening to music, or looking at fish in the aquarium. Aha! Finally Maisy finds a sparkly book all about fish. But just as she settles into a corner to read, along come Cyril, Tallulah, Eddie, and Ostrich -- and they all have noisier activities on their minds!

Read a review by Gennifer King:

maisy_goes_to_the_library.pdf
File Size: 499 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

December 21, 2022 | 'Toot & Puddle: Let It Snow' by Holly Hobbie [Picture Book Review]

12/21/2022

 
Picture

Toot & Puddle: Let It Snow

Hobbie, Holly

2007, Little, Brown and Co.

​Fiction

Grades: Pre-K - 3; Lexile: AD660L

Availability

EPLD: print
How do you find the best Christmas present ever for your best friend in the whole wide world? That's what Toot is trying to find out, and Puddle is having just as much trouble. With a nod to previous books in the bestselling Toot & Puddle series, Holly Hobbie shows readers that the best kind of present for the best kind of friend is one that shows just how much you care. ​

Read a review by Angela Roberts:

let_it_snow.pdf
File Size: 490 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

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address

Eureka Public Library District
​202 S. Main St.
​Eureka, IL 61530

phone

309.467.2922

fax

309.467.3527

hours

Monday, Tuesday, & Thursday:
​9:00 AM - 8:00 PM

Wednesday & Friday:
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM

Saturday:
9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
© COPYRIGHT 2026. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
  • Home
  • About
    • About EPLD
    • Contact Us
    • Library Board
    • Library Policies
    • Staff & Employment
    • Friends of the Library
    • Donations
    • Library Newsletter
    • Fine Free
  • At The Library
    • Program Calendar
    • Kids
    • Teens
    • Adults
    • Get a Library Card
    • Loan Periods and Fines
    • Library of Things
    • Hotspots
    • Seed Library
  • Find Books & More
    • Search Catalog
    • Access Your Account
    • Wowbrary: Latest Additions
    • Interlibrary Loans
    • Digital Resources
    • Staff Book Reviews
  • Services
    • Outreach
    • Porch Pickup
    • Free Services
    • Copy, Print, & Fax
    • Educational Materials Request
    • Talking Books
    • Explore More Illinois
    • Online Classes
    • Mango Languages
    • Niche Academy
  • Research
    • IRIS: Illinois Reliable Information Sources
    • Genealogy & Local History
    • Eureka Pumpkin Festival
    • City & County Resources
    • State & Federal Resources
    • Tax Form Information
    • Voter Information