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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A sweet story of a father and daughter's cozy day together as they wait for a storm to pass.
When rain interrupts their outdoor play, a girl and her father retreat indoors to wait out the storm. As lightning cracks and thunder booms, they each have their own ideas of things they can do together on a rainy day.
A great introduction to books through well-known nursery rhymes and interactive text. Singing songs and rhymes is the perfect way to bond with your baby and share quality time. It also aids language development by introducing them to the natural sounds and patterns of speech. Combining these with actions also stimulates the brain and helps muscle development.
Full of charm and humor, this one-of-a-kind treasury is rich with Latinx lullabies, proverbs, finger plays, tall-tales, and riddles.
Count to 10 and back again with Latin Grammy Award-winning children's musical duo 123 Andrés in this bilingual book! The popular song from 123 Andrés' Latin Grammy Award-winning album is cleverly and beautifully brought to life in this bright, bouncy book! Each of the 10 birds is given a fun and silly personality, and children will love to follow along as each flies away -- and escapes a lurking kitty!
A picture book that celebrates music, love, and family from New York Times bestselling author Cedella Marley. A poetic story about a young girl who moves to a new country and learns to make friends--inspired by a childhood growing up with the musician Bob Marley as a father.
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Music! Music! Oh, how grand! A language we all understand. Get swept away by the musical performance of a lifetime as, one by one, each instrument of the symphony orchestra shows off their skills!
Meet Chomp, a preschooler with lots of feelings . . . who is also a T. Rex! Join him as he learns to navigate his emotions in this timely debut picture book complete with a downloadable companion song.
Toddlers love trains and the noises they make. Listen Up! Train Song uses repeating verse and bright photographs to match this enthusiasm with a unique take on the conceptual sound book that is perfect for reading aloud.
Sing along to this delicious twist on "The Wheels on the Bus" and celebrate the food, laughter, and love of a multigenerational family meal!
From Pura Belpré Award–winning author Margarita Engle comes a lively, rhythmic picture book about a little girl visiting her grandfather who is a pregonero—a singing street vendor in Cuba—and helping him sell his frutas.
Parents who play Grammy winner Lil Nas X's 12-times platinum single Old Town Road on repeat will want to take their kids and ride on over to this New York Times bestselling ABC picture book from the music mega-star!
A is for adventure. Every day is a brand-new start!
B is for boots--whether they're big or small, short or tall.
And C is for country.
From sunset to bedtime, two parents lovingly care for their beautiful brown baby: first, they play outside, then it is time for dinner and a bath, and finally a warm snuggle before bed.
Read, dance, and sing along to this favorite classic song featuring a baby shark, mama shark, daddy shark, grandma shark, and more underwater pals!
Bebé Tiburón se ha convertido en un personaje famoso y querido por maestros, padres y niños en todo el mundo. Con las adorables y divertidas historias subacuáticas con Bebé, Mamá, Papá y Abue Tiburón, y otras criaturas del océano, ¡los chicos no se cansarán de estas historias de una familia de tiburones!
Baby Shark has become well-known and well-loved by teachers, parents, and children everywhere. And with hilarious and adorable under-the-sea art of Baby Shark, Mama Shark, Daddy Shark, Grandma Shark, and more ocean creatures, kids won't be able to get enough of this silly illustrated story of a shark family!
Join the search—in English and Spanish—and discover a celebration of friends and creativity.
Sing and read along to these six favorite preschool songs, in English and in Spanish.
Uno Dos Tresis a journey that will take children from one adventure to another, and back home again, while learning Spanish! From school to the farm, and from playtime to bedtime, this book is a perfect introduction to the language for the youngest child. With a host of characters - people, animals and birds - illustrating over twenty-five simple and well-known rhymes and songs, young children will enjoy learning and speaking Spanish.
This children's book is based on the song "Un elefante se balanceaba", a traditional Mexican counting song. It teaches little ones how to count to five plus serves as the perfect bedtime story.
Bursting with color and spirit, this collection of Latin-American songs is a tribute to Latino culture. From traditional tunes to rhymes and hand games, "De Colores" has songs for all occasions and moods. Each is accompanied by a simple musical arrangement, with lyrics in both English and Spanish.
In this lyrical read-aloud filled with rhythm and rhyme and illustrated by Caldecott Honor winner Brian Pinkney, follow a little girl as she dances her way to bedtime.
Mama says, "Lollipop, stop! Stop!
Jumping snapping nonstop."
Arms and shoulders pop 'n' lock.
Lollie's dancing hip-hop.
Watch as Lollipop grooves her way through her bedtime routine, brushing her teeth to the beat and shimmying into pjs. She sways along with her sister, her parents, and even some enthusiastic pets until, finally, Lollie closes her eyes and dances through her dreams. Susan Montanari and Caldecott Honor winner Brian Pinkney offer a playful bedtime read-aloud that perfectly captures the joy of music, movement, and family.
In this beautifully illustrated bilingual picture book, parents and children will be able to read and sing one of the most recognizable Spanish folk songs, De Colores featuring an English adaptation on each page. The book is overflowing with colorful illustrations as it pays a tribute to cultures throughout the world.
Read, row, and roar along - a newly imagined favorite will have everyone singing.
In this vibrantly-painted rain forest, squeak, bark, and chatter along with a kitten and puppy rowing their way down the stream. Uncover one delightful animal surprise after another. Sheet music with guitar chords, along with Cabrera's jaunty new verses, is included.
Read along, dig along, sing along!
Young paleontologists and dinosaur enthusiasts are invited on a fossil dig, set to the tune of "Here We Go 'Round the Mulberry Bush." Hike the trail, scan the ground, and make a find--then discover how to build a T. Rex from its bones. Includes hand-play motions for sing-alongs and bite-size science sidebars.
One bright city morning, Penelope and her mom make their way to the farmer's market. On street corners and train platforms, musicians and performers enchant Penelope, speaking to her through their floating, booming notes. The noise of the city keeps the pair moving—until Penelope hears a sound so magical she knows she has to play the instrument that makes it.
Thirteen favorite nursery songs, including "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star," "Itsy, Bitsy Spider," and "Pat-a-Cake," are beautifully brought to life with sweet animal characters and charming scenes. Naoko Stoop's paintings are irresistible. Sing with Me! is sure to be the new classic baby book for new parents!
A dab of blue here, a splash of red there, a goopy smear of green . . . everywhere. To the tune of "It Ain't Gonna Rain No More," one creative kid floods his world with color, painting first the walls, then the ceiling, then HIMSELF! Before this feisty artist is through, he'll have painted his head, back, hands, legs, feet, and . . . Oh no--here comes Mama!
Karen Beaumont's zippy text and David Catrow's zany illustrations turn an infamous childhood activity into raucous storytime fun, giving a silly twist to the fine art of self-expression.
On a simple trip to the park, the joy of music overtakes a mother and daughter. The little girl hears a rhythm coming from the world around her- from butterflies, to street performers, to ice cream sellers everything is musical! She sniffs, snaps, and shakes her way into the heart of the beat, finally busting out in an impromptu dance, which all the kids join in on! Award-winning illustrator Frank Morrison and Connie Schofield-Morrison, capture the beat of the street, to create a rollicking read that will get any kid in the mood to boogie.
