Welcome to the online presence of the Butler Children's Literature Center, housed in Dominican's SOIS (Crown Library room 214). Here, we celebrate the best in books for youth and those who delight in sharing them. For Summer 2025, BCLC will offer collection access to the Dominican community and general public during posted open hours: Tuesday and Thursday 9am to 4pm, Wednesday noon-4pm, Friday 9am-5pm and by appointment with the Curator. Contact Jen Clemons at jclemons@dom.edu to make arrangements or you can still reach us at butler@dom.edu.
For those who love the majestic, mysterious dinosaurs that roamed Earth millions of years ago, we have quite the collection of books that highlight these prehistoric creatures. Take Dinosaurs Can Be Small, a nonfiction picture book about the lesser-known smaller sized dinosaurs. Zooligist Darrin Lunde educates readers about dinosaurs like the Compsognathus, a tiny insect-eating dinosaur, who all had different evolutionary benefits despite their smaller size. This book is not only a vastly informative introduction to many interesting dinosaurs, but it also speaks to how powerful even the smallest creatures can be.
For more books about and featuring dinosaurs, check out some of the books in our collection below!
Baby Loves Paleontology Written by Ruth Spiro Illustrated by Irene Chan Published by Charlesbridge Available now
Big Babies Written and illustrated by Patrick O’Brien Published by Charlesbridge Available now
Dinosaurs Can Be Small Written by Darrin Lunde Illustrated by Ariel Landy Published by Charlesbridge Available September 17, 2024
How Do Dinosaurs Say Trick or Treat? Written by Jane Yolen Illustrated by Mark Teague Published by Scholastic Press Available now
National Geographic Kids Puzzle Book of Dinosaurs Written by National Geographic Kids Published by National Geographic Kids Available now
When Dinosaurs Walked the Earth Written by Sean Taylor Illustrated by Zehra Hicks Published by Frances Lincoln Children’s Books Available now
If Anything Happens To Me Written by Luanne Rice Scholastic Inc/Scholastic Press Ages 14-17 Available September 17, 2024
Eight months ago, Eloise Parrish’s body was found in the woods, and her killer still hasn’t been found. Her older sister, Oli, is still reeling in her grief and anger, and she’ll stop at nothing to find Eloise’s killer. When Oli finds Iris, a girl left for dead in the same spot her sister’s body was found, Oli knows she’s closer than ever to getting justice for Eloise. The only problem? Iris has no memory of her life or how she came to be in the woods. Together, Oli and Iris piece together what happened to her and realize that the perpetrator still has Iris’s little sister, Hayley. As they race against time to find Hayley and solve the mystery, Oli learns more about her hometown than she ever knew before, including who she can or can’t trust.
Luanne Rice’s newest thriller keeps readers hooked until the last page. There are plenty of twists and turns to keep readers engaged, starting with introducing the newest victim of her sister’s killer to incorporating supernatural elements. Rice uses themes of sisterhood and sibling bonds to explore how the love and determination that grow from them can cause good or evil actions. While the characterization, especially in the sister relationships, feels a bit predictable at times—both sets of sisters are opposites of each other—the character development was well-rounded and satisfying. The story ends with Oli and her friends healing from their experiences and hopeful for the future. Rice creates an immersive setting by describing the natural New England flora and fauna through Oli’s naturalist hobby she shares with her friends and sister. The supernatural elements in the story add charm and whimsy to this idyllic setting that offsets the darker points of the story. These elements also add higher stakes to the mystery and a stronger bond between Oli and Eloise. Using descriptive language, magical elements, and characters that readers can root for, Rice creates a compelling mystery with enough darkness to keep readers interested and enough love to keep them hopeful at the end.
Many children’s books have recently taken on a more direct approach to helping young ones deal with their emotions, professionally known as social-emotional learning. This week, we are featuring both fiction and nonfiction books with themes of social-emotional learning. Inspired by the beloved movie Inside Out 2, Luna Chi’s picture book portrays the characters—anthropomorphized emotions that live inside the mind of a girl named Riley—as they get ready for bed. Joy has finished her bedtime routine, Disgust is keeping watch on night duty at the emotion console, and the rest of the emotions are tucked comfortably into their beds starting to drift off to sleep. However, Anxiety can’t seem to fall asleep, and she eventually wakes everyone else up with her pacing, worrying, and general unrest. For any reader who has had a hard time falling asleep, this fun, hilarious, and hopeful picture book will help show readers how to calm their minds when they are feeling restless before bed.
For more books in our collection about social-emotional learning and self-care below!
Go to Sleep, Anxiety! Written by Luna Chi Illustrated by Gurihiru Published by Disney Press Available now
Gray Written by Laura Dockrill Illustrated by Lauren Child Published by Candlewick Press Available now
Kit and the Missing Notebooks: A Book About Calming Anxiety Written by Chris and Linsey Wheeler Illustrated by Carmen Saldaña Published by Zonderkidz Available now
Look Written by Gabi Snyder Illustrated by Samantha Cotterill Published by Paula Wiseman Books Available now
That Always Happens Sometimes Written by Kiley Frank Illustrated by K-Fai Steele Published by Alfred A. Knopf Available now
Wonderful Me: A First Guide to Taking Care of Yourself Written by Nancy Shapiro Illustrated by Vânia Sacramento Published by Frances Lincoln Children’s Books Available now
It’s the beginning of a new academic year, with all the excitement, new students, and parking woes that come along with it (why does the parking thing surprise me every year?).
This fall, BCLC will host some of our regularly scheduled annual events, as well as welcome back some past favorites, and offer some new opportunities to engage. We hope you’ll join us.
Fall Open Hours:
You can find the Butler Center open to Dominican students, faculty, staff, and the public during weekly open hours. Stop in for visits/studying/research on Monday 2pm-5pm and Tues-Thurs 1-4pm, Or reach out to make a special appointment. Watch for expanded hours later this fall.
BCLC Welcomes New Butler Scholar:
This summer, Vanessa Crisostomo was awarded the Butler Youth Services Scholarship for Underrepresented Groups in the Field of Library and Information Science.
BYSS Announcement: Vanessa Crisostomo
Vanessa Crisostomo is a high school teacher at Prosser Career Academy. She is a graduate of Chicago Public Schools and received her bachelor’s in education from Northeastern Illinois University in 2018. Her professional experiences include facilitating team building for schools and groups, and 6 years in classroom instruction with four years of IB experience. Vanessa is pursuing her master’s in library science with the School Library Media endorsement. She is passionate about helping to increase access to programs, resources, and librarians in school. Vanessa is inspired by her students and hopes to bring back resources, strategies, and knowledge.
Please join us in welcoming Vanessa to the Butler community. We wish her the best in her role as a Butler Scholar. Visit our websitefor information about the scholarship program and application procedures.
Look for Us at AISLE:
BCLC will join the DU School of Information Studies at the AISLE Annual Fall Conference November 7th -9th in Tinley Park. You’ll find us all over the place, but watch out for these opportunities:
The Dominican SLMP booth
The SOIS Alumni Reception (stay tuned for more info)
In a learning session dedicated to BCLC collections and resources:
Butler Children’s Literature Center—Research and Review Resources Friday, November 8th Session 2 at 9:15 am—in North Pavilion 1
From the conference schedule: “Did you know there was a local center for the study of children’s literature right in your own backyard? The Butler Children’s Literature Center commits itself to imagination and wonder, encouraging and supporting adults in libraries, classrooms, childcare centers, and homes to engage young people with good books. Meet the Curator and discover the programming, tools, and collection resources on offer at the Center, including book reviews, lectures, community events, new book collections (spanning board books to young adult titles), special book collections (including the Ellin Greene Storytelling Collection and the Effie Lee Morris African American Children’s Book Collection), and an annual book sale. Located in the Rebecca Crown Library at Dominican University, the Center supports students in library science and education, as well as local librarians, teachers, caregivers, and book lovers. Get to know the BCLC now, then schedule a visit to explore the collections for yourself.”
It’s (Almost) Book Sale Time:
Butler Book Sale Announcement
Save the date for the annual Butler Book Sale. Join us December 4th-7th for book recommendations, holiday shopping, and refreshing your library, classroom, or personal collection. All sale proceeds support Butler Center programming and events.
Stay Tuned for More Fall Fun:
We’re excited to bring back the Ellin Green Memorial Storytelling Tea. Gather with fellow storytellers and story lovers to celebrate this lovely tradition and the woman who donated (and still inspires) the Folk and Fairy Tale research collection here at the Butler Center. Details and registration information coming later this fall.
In a new addition to BCLC fall programming, the Center will host drop in Creative Days for writers and illustrators from the DU community and beyond to spend time on their work in company with other artists and in a space dedicated to the best in youth literature. Dates to be announced soon.
More About the Butler Center:
The Butler Children’s Literature Center is Dominican University’s examination center dedicated to the research and review of literature for young people. A non-circulating library collection, the staff is here to assist you in locating books that address specific themes, age groups, or reading levels in the rotating review collection and exploring or research in the permanent collections.
The Butler Center is located in the Rebecca Crown Library, room 214, on Dominican’s main campus at 7900 W. Division Street in River Forest, Illinois. Directions and a campus map are available here. The Butler Center is administered by Dominican’s School of Information Studies and is generously supported by the donations from the community. If you’d like to make a gift toward the Center’s continuing success, please contactJen Clemons, Butler Children’s Literature Center Curator, for more information.
We hope you’ll visit or join us for an event, and stay tuned for our news and upcoming events.
As we begin the start of the school year, we want to highlight books in our collection that can help get readers of all ages excited about science, math, and physics. With soft, whimsical illustrations by Gabriel Evans, Caisley’s picture book Imagine Counting All the Stars tells the story of a young girl, Maddie, who loves patterns, counting, and shapes. But most of the other girls in her class aren’t excited about math—instead, they like decorating cookies or playing with dolls. Maddie hopes that she can find a friend someday that shares her interests. When she visits the observatory with a new classmate, Priya, who is equally enthralled in the number of stars they can see in the sky, Maddie thinks she just might have found a new friend. This sweet story speaks to the power of friendship while empowering young girls to follow their interests in math, science, and the wonders of space.
Check out more of our STEM-related books in our collection below!
Imagine Counting All the Stars Written Raewyn Caisley Illustrated by Gabriel Evans Published by Candlewick Press Available now
Numbers Queen Written by Margery Cuyler Illustrated by Stacy Curtis Published by Aladdin Available now
¿Quién Salta Más?/Who Jumps More? Written and illustrated by Grace Lin Published by Charlesbridge Available now
Sir Cumference Speaks Volumes Written by Cindy Neuschwander Illustrated by Wayne Geehan Published by Charlesbridge Available October 15th, 2024
Unlocking the Universe: The Cosmic Discoveries of the Webb Space Telescope Written by Suzanne Slade Published by Charlesbridge Available October 8th, 2024
Up Close and Incredible: Human Body Written by Isabel Thomas Illustrated by Damien Weighill Published by Wide Eyed Editions Available now
We’re taking a brain break in this moment between semesters, but stay tuned for more reviews, recommendations, the Butler Center Fall Open Hours schedule, new events, and more. See you next week for the start of the fall semester. Cheers, the BCLC Staff
It’s almost time for school, so this week, we are highlighting books that talk about or take place at school. For instance, Getting Ready for Kindergarten is aptly named as readers follow a young girl in all the steps she takes leading up to the first day of Kindergarten. From shopping for new shoes with her mom to packing her backpack the night before, she feels ready. But the night before, she starts to worry about what her teacher and classmates will be like. Once she meets a friendly new classmate on the bus, she releases her fears and feels excited once again about the start of the year.
Check out more of our school-themed books from our collection below!
Bizzy Bear: Preschool Illustrated by Benji Davies Published by Candlewick Press Available now
Free to Learn: How Alfredo Lopez Fought for the Right to Go to School Written by Cynthia Levinson Illustrated by Mirelle Ortega Published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers Available now
Getting Ready for Kindergarten Written by Vera Ahiyya Illustrated by Debby Rahmalia Published by Random House PICTUREBACK Book Available now
Getting Ready for Preschool Written by Vera Ahiyya Illustrated by Debby Rahmalia Published by Random House PICTUREBACK Book Available now
Hello, Crayons!: And Other School Friends Written by Hannah Eliot Illustrated by Anna Clark and Daniel Clark Published by Little Simon Available now
Look How Much I’ve Grown in KINDergarten Written by Vera Ahiyya Illustrated by Joey Chou Published by Random House Studio Available now
Scorch, Hedgehog of Doom Written by Cate Berry Illustrated by Margherita Grasso Page Street Publishing/Page Street Kids July 16, 2024 Ages 4-8
Scorch, the class hedgehog, longs to be a ferocious hedgehog, horrifying those around her with her viciousness, but the world only sees her as cute and adorable. Scorch pulls out all the stops to make everyone see her ferocity, like practicing chokeholds and cartwheel kicks. Scorch puts all her effort into terrifying the students, but each ferocious display is met with choruses of “Aw!” Eventually, Scorch learns that her cuteness is “forged in fire” (p. 20). Scorch sees that she doesn’t have to choose between ferocious or adorable. She can be “ferociously adorable” (p. 24).
Cate Berry’s engaging writing keeps readers entertained as Scorch struggles with how she wants to be seen compared to how others see her. Berry uses contradicting words, like “cute” and “ferocious,” to show the difference between Scorch’s perspective and the outside world’s perception of her. Berry further emphasizes this by showing Scorch vow to horrify the world in direct response to being called cute. Margherita Grasso uses bright, candy-colored art to aid this emphasis by utilizing perspective changes. Her adorable cartoon style depicts Scorch conquering the dangerous wilderness while the class sees her simply running around her tank. In the end, Berry’s words and Grasso’s art show that Scorch doesn’t have to fit into one box or another; she can be “KILLER cute” (p. 22). With beautiful art and a fun story, this book is perfect for a storytime about identity, hedgehogs, or class pets.
This week, we are showcasing some picture books from our collection. These aren’t just any picture books, but they are works that involve food, from pickles to pasta! For instance, Baba’s Peach Tree is a touching tale about a migrant worker Baba, his daughter, and the peach tree they find behind their house in China. Baba considers the peach tree good luck, and over the years, that’s what it provides. Until one day, it no longer blossoms. Instead, Baba finds a job in the Big City, with better schools and opportunities for his daughter. This touching story is about family, dreams, and the little things in life like a peach tree.
Check out more of our picture books that weave in themes of food below!
Baba’s Peach Tree Written by Marie Tang Illustrated by Seo Kim Published by Random House Studio Available now
Duck Duck Taco Truck Written by Laura Lavoie Illustrated by Teresa Martínez Published by Doubleday Available now
Nana’s New Soul Food Written by Will Power Illustrated by R. Gregory Christie Published by Crown Books for Young Readers Available now
Pasta Pasta Lotsa Pasta Written by Aimee Lucido Illustrated by Mavisu Demirag Published by Beach Lane Books Available now
Pickle Words: Crunchy, Punchy Pickles and Poetry Written by April Pulley Sayre Illustrated by Jialei Sun Published by Charlesbridge Available now
Tricky Chopsticks Written by Sylvia Chen Illustrated by Fanny Liem Published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers Available now
Noodles on a Bicycle Written by Kyo Maclear Illustrated by Gracey Zhang Published by Random House Studio Ages 4-8 Available August 27, 2024
Everyday, kids in the neighborhood look forward to cheering on, chasing, and admiring the deliverymen precariously balancing high stacks of noodles with one hand while biking with the other as they leave for their daily deliveries. Based on the real life cycling deliverymen, known as demae, prominent in the 1930s to 1970s, this picture book follows these skilled workers as they navigate crowded city streets feeding the city. Through the playful perspective of a group of children, readers see the demae at work, “whizzing past other bicycles, soaring around curves, cresting hills, avoiding potholes” (p 15). As the sun sets, the children return home pleading for soba noodles, only to have their father, a cycling deliverymen himself, bring home noodles for everyone.
Maclear draws from her childhood experience living in Nishi-Ogikubo, downtown Tokyo, as she reimagines Tokyo with demae speeding around street corners. Using repetitive language, alliteration, and onomatopoeia, Maclear immerses readers into the bustling city streets. The plot is light and simple, and the acrobatics of the cycling deliverymen will have readers of all ages captivated. The playful, accessible language is accompanied by Zhang’s paintings, which appear as colorful, sketch-like vignettes of a child’s day following the delivery bicyclists. Endnotes include an author’s note about the history of soba delivery service on bicycles and a glossary of some Japanese words. This beautiful picture book tells a love story about the lesser known heroes of Tokyo’s past, leaving readers of all ages in awe, wonder, and joy.
Butler's Pantry 