Due to software issues affecting all libraries using the service, the Des Moines Public Library’s Iowa Adventure Pass program will no longer be available in 2025. Any reservation already made for 2025 will be honored, but we encourage anyone with a current reservation to print those passes immediately. Customers can make new reservations for passes that must be used by December 31, 2024. We hope to reintroduce the service at a later time, and we apologize for the inconvenience.
Our librarians have hundreds of book recommendations for your next read. Filter by category below, or view one of our Popular Book Lists.
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The best family snuggle time is when a book is involved! This beautiful picture book is an equally endearing follow-up to Whisper and features a cozy duo of koalas, parent and child, preparing for bedtime. The little koala adorably suggests they snuggle while they read before bedtime and ultimately falls fast asleep.
Young children learn the lowercase letters from A to Z with this interactive touch-and-trace book from the My First Home Learning series.
An interactive instant classic for inquisitive young minds and budding book lovers. For fans of Look!, Love You, Hug You, Read To You, and Bunny's Book Club, this touchable, delightful board book is sure to delight and excite children ages 0–3.
Hudson Talbott's inspiring story vividly reveals the challenges--and ultimately the rewards--of being a non-mainstream kind of learner.
The reader is put in charge of building a fantastical library where everything is possible including a waterslide, zip line, really large ladders, and of course, a full-service sudae bar.
Two-time Caldecott winner Sophie Blackall spins a winning tale about Max, a feline whose behavior doesn't win any raves, except from the boy who believes in him and finds a way to turn a negative into a positive.
A hilarious, interactive book that breaks the fourth wall about a boy confronts a book thief when his favorite story is stolen. Perfect for fans of Don't Push the Button and There's a Monster in Your Book!
What do you love most about books? Inspired by the things children say they love most about reading, this book features a diverse cast of characters acting out imaginative depictions of their favorite things about reading. From a girl who loves learning about new people to three friends who love when books make them sleepy, each beautiful page will inspire readers to list their own favorite things about the books they love to read.
A gorgeous and inspiring picture book based on the life of José Alberto Gutiérrez, a garbage collector in Bogotá, Colombia who started a library with a single discarded book found on his route.
Please do not read this book -- it's way too funny! No, really! The fun never ends in this sidesplitting sequel to Do Not Open This Book! Readers will be determined to reach the end of this hysterical story -- no matter what the little monster on the pages says or does. This time, he's pulled out all the stops to avoid having to go to sleep, and he's up to all kinds of hilarious shenanigans to stay awake! Readers will delight in defying the monster as he brings surprises and excitement to every page!
Perfect for story time, Pamela Paul's funny and charming story about books, pets, and reading together will enchant readers of all ages.
Duck, Duck, Moose! Where is Goose? Help four friends search for Goose in this laugh-out-loud rhyming picture book from Geisel honor winner Mary Sullivan, perfect for reading aloud and for fans of I Yam A Donkey and The Bad Seed.
Reading is wild, dangerous... fantastic! The possibilities are endless, the perils enormous--good thing it's just a story.
A boy happens upon a discarded book that transforms a library into an escalating series of near misses and close encounters with dastardly pirates, a herd of scooter-riding elephants, a big blue whale, and is that an alien in an Elvis wig?
But surprise, he escapes without a scratch, because it's just a story...
With an exuberant art style reminiscent of newspaper comic strips, illustrator Jeff Mack brings imagination to life in this riotous tale about the power of reading.
Morris is excited to share his favorite childhood book with his son, Benny. The problem? Benny isn’t interested.
Not even if it’s the last book in the pile.
Not even if it’s the last book in the house.
Not even if it’s the only book Morris brings on their desert vacation, and their plane has just left, and their train has just departed, and the camel they rode in on is far, far, away.
And they are stranded.
Not even then.
Unless...?
From Super Bowl champion and literacy crusader Malcolm Mitchell comes an exciting new story that shows even reluctant readers that there is a book out there for everyone!
Meet Henley, an all-around good kid, who hates to read. When he's supposed to be reading, he would rather do anything else. But one day, he gets the scariest homework assignment in the world: find your favorite book to share with the class tomorrow.
One girl. One spark. Faint and fading in the dark.
Flicker . . . Flicker . . . Flicker . . . Glow. Tiny ember. Burning low.
Inspired by the global movement to empower girls through education, this lyrical story tells of one small girl who reads a book that lights a spark. She shares what she learns with her class, and the spark grows. The girl is then moved to write her own story, which she shares with girls around the globe, and it ignites a spark in them, lighting up the whole world. This heartwarming and moving narrative shows how books and education can inspire change and how one child can make a huge difference.
In this laugh-out-loud book that begs readers to break the rules, silliness and hilarity reign supreme! Perfect for fans of The Book with No Pictures.
Wait--are you reading this book? Even though the cover asked you not to?
Well, if you're going to read it, then you'll have to follow the rules, or you're going to have WAY too much fun. And you don't want to have FUN, do you? DO YOU?!
That's what I thought. So definitely, positively, DO NOT read this book!
Join along for zany antics, silly sounds, and endless fun in this breaks-the-fourth-wall book that will have readers coming back time and time again--regardless of what the title says.
All the students in the class are assigned reading buddies, except for Adelaide. She already has one, a bear! And Adelaide is quite persuasive as she explains to her language arts teacher, Mrs. Fitz-Pea, and the reader, that bears really do make the best reading buddies: they sniff out good books and their claws are just right for turning pages. And the bear looks rather friendly (and studious) in these crayon-bright, contemporary illustrations, making this is must-read picture book for story time! Fully translated Spanish text. La maestra asigna compañeros de lectura a todos los niños, pero Adelaida ya tiene uno: ¡su oso! Adelaida convencerá a su maestra y a los lectores de que no hay nada mejor que leer con un oso. Los osos tienen un gran olfato para los buenos libros y garras idelaes para pasar páginas. Y este oso parece muy simpático (y estudioso). Con ilustraciones modernas y coloridas, ¡este es el cuento perfecto para leer en voz alta!
Classic Mother Goose rhymes get a Latino twist in this cozy collection. From young Juan Ramón sitting in el rincón to three little gatitos who lost their mitoncitos, readers will be delighted to see familiar characters in vibrant, luminous scenes brimming with fanciful details.
Ruby's mind is always full of ideas.
One day, she spies some blueberries across the creek and invites her brothers to pick some. Unfortunately, the bridge is blocked by scary Santiago.
I'm the boss, and you can't cross... unless you give me a snack, he demands.
One by one, the brothers scamper across, promising Santiago that the next sibling has a better snack. When at last it's Ruby's turn, she refuses to be bullied and creates her own way to cross the creek.
Together, boy and boat ride the shifting tides, catching wants and wishes until fate calls for a sea change. Brothers and collaborators Jarrett and Jerome Pumphrey’s newest picture book is a masterfully crafted celebration of the natural world and tribute to the families we make and the homes that we nurture.
Aaron Slater loves listening to stories and dreams of one day writing stories himself. But when it comes to reading, the letters just look like squiggles to him, and it soon becomes clear he struggles more than his peers. When his teacher asks each child in the class to write a story, Aaron can’t get a single word down. He is sure his dream of being a storyteller is out of reach . . . until inspiration strikes, and Aaron finds a way to spin a tale in a way that is uniquely his.
Every ABC book worth its cover price is bound to have bright colors and big letters. But not every ABC book has magical hand-carved animals to illustrate every letter. And very few alphabet books present those letters in more varieties than English! Very few alphabet books except the ABeCedarios, that is! In this brightly colored book, the alphabet is presented in both Spanish and English, and includes the four additional letters—and whimsical animals—that make the Spanish alphabet so much fun.
Shailey loves bedtime, especially reading with her dad. But her dad starts a new job, and it gets in the way of their bedtime routine. So Shailey takes action! She fires her dad, posts a Help Wanted sign, and starts interviews immediately. She is thrilled when her favorite characters from fairytales line up to apply. But Sleeping Beauty can't stay awake, the Gingerbread Man steals her book, and Snow White brings along her whole team. Shailey is running out of options. Is bedtime ruined forever?
Reading makes you feel good because...
You can imagine you are a scary dinosaur,
You can make someone feel better when they are sick,
And you can do it anywhere!
Reading Makes You Feel Good will inspire and encourage young children to delight in the joyful, rewarding experience of reading. With Todd Parr's trademark bright, bold pictures and silly scenes, kids will learn that reading isn't something that just happens at school or at home-it can happen anywhere! Todd shows us all the fun ways we can read- from in the library and in bed to in the bathtub and on the road. Targeted to those first beginning to read, this book invites children to read the main text as well as all the funny signs, labels, and messages hidden in the pictures.
A moving and universal picture book about empathy and kindness, sure to soothe heartaches big and small.
When something sad happens, Taylor doesn't know where to turn. All the animals are sure they have the answer. The chicken wants to talk it out, but Taylor doesn't feel like chatting. The bear thinks Taylor should get angry, but that's not quite right either. One by one, the animals try to tell Taylor how to act, and one by one they fail to offer comfort. Then the rabbit arrives. All the rabbit does is listen . . . which is just what Taylor needs.
With its spare, poignant text and irresistibly sweet illustration, The Rabbit Listened is about how to comfort and heal the people in your life, by taking the time to carefully, lovingly, gently listen.
Join Lola as she learns what it means to be a big sister, in the third installment in the loveable Lola series. We all know how much Lola loves books, so it is no surprise that she can’t wait to share her love of reading with her new baby brother, Leo. Lola gets ready for little Leo’s arrival by reading books about brothers and sisters and picking out the perfect stories that she just knows her little brother will love. When the baby is finally here, Lola takes on the role of big sister—she helps her mommy and daddy around the house and tells Leo stories to cheer him up when he cries. Simple text and bright and charming illustrations celebrate family, reading, and what it means to be a big sister.
