Over five thousand new children's books are published every year. How can you discover which books really work for children? One way to insure success is to turn to authors and illustrators who have proven themselves again and again. It's impossible to write up all the fantastic new offerings, but here are some new books by familiar children's book artists.

Picture Books for Early School Years:

*Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse by Kevin Henkes (Greenwillow, $15.00; grades K-2)

Lilly, heroine of two other Henkes picture books, returns for a staring role in the story of a small girl who adores everything about school, especially her playful teacher, Mr. Slinger. One day, when Mr. Slinger, imposes a limit on Lilly's exuberance, her feelings change completely. Lilly's angry reactions are real and so is her teacher's kind resolution. Once again, Henkes hits the emotions of early education on the mark, and helps children think about their relationships with important adults in their lives.

*Sam and the Tigers written by Julius Lester and illustrated by Jerry Pinkney (Dial, $15.99; grades K-adults who once loved it) & Helen Bannerman's The Story of Little Babaji, illustrated by Fred Marcellino (HarperCollins, $14.95; grades K-2)

Helen Bannerman's 1899 Little Black Sambo has been transformed into a story that preserves the old magic, but add a new richness. Marcellino's version stays close to the classic, but new illustrations make the story a completely Indian-based story. Lester and Pinkney's version occurs in a magical place "called Sam-sam-sa-mara, where the animals and people lived and worked together like they didn't know they weren't supposed to." Readers will be pulled into the fun of Lester's gorgeous blending of unusual image, his storytelling voice filled with animated dialect and banter, that brings the classic tale into the 20th century! Pinkney's illustrations are a wonderful blend of fantasy, realistic detailing, and a frivolity that lights up the pages. The poetry of author and illustrator could inspire your class to write poetic retellings, to truly understand the magic of similes, or to begin comparative literature by comparing both versions.

Picture Books for Later Elementary Students

*Going home by Eve Bunting, illustrated by David Diaz (HarperCollins, $14.95; grades 3-5)

The award-winning team of Bunting and Diaz blend their talents to tell the story of Carlos, a boy whose family takes time from migrant work in the US to visit their home in Mexico. Carlos and his older sister are confused as to why his parents left home, chose such a difficult life, and want to return to a place doesn't seem so special. After a long night of warm conversation with their Mexican family, Carlos and his sister watch their parents dancing barefoot in the street of the small village. Their sore shoulders and bad knees are temporarily forgotten in the magic mood of the night and Carlos, watching them, understands their sacrifice for the promise of opportunity . Bunting's characters lead children thorough the emotional levels of the situation, while Diaz creates a celebration of illustration accenting the joys of family warmth found in a small Mexican village brightened by Christmas festivities.

*Hudson Talbott (with photojournalist Mark Greenberg), Amazon Diary: The Jungle Adventures of Alex Winters (Putnam, $15.95; grades 4 and up)

Alex Winters, a sixth grader with a bit of an attitude, is traveling from Chicago to the Amazon Jungle to join his anthropologist parents. He records his adventures in a fast-paced journal. On the first page, the plane crashes and by the fourth entry, Alex has been discovered by the Yanomami tribe. Here begins a journey highlighted with drawings, Polaroids, integrated with stories of life in the "shapono", or huge doughnut shaped shelter that houses the "Fierce People". Alex makes friends, witnesses ceremony, and is even caught in a fierce battle. The novella shows genius of design, conception, non-fiction and fiction blending, and a character whose American preadolescent voice makes the story appealing to children.

Novels :

* Avi launches a three book series, Beyond the Western Sea , beginning with Book One: The Escape from Home which follows the lives of three young adults ready to emigrate to America. Two, a brother and sister, from Ireland and are going to join their father. The third, is a young English lord, who's running away from home to escape the cruelty of his brother and the shame of a theft he's committed. The story continues in Lord Kirkle's Money, where we see the characters struggle to find their ways in America against the backdrop of the Lowell mills and Irish prejudice. Readers follow them through a setting that brings alive the period, action that drives the compelling plot, cliff-hangers reminiscent of serials written in the time period of the setting and characters that are downright Dickensian. (both from Orchard, $18.95; grades 6-10)

*Michael Dorris, Sees Behind Trees (Hyperion, $14.95; grades 4-8)

Walnut, a fifteenth century Powhatan Indian, dreads the warrior's test to prove his manhood because of his limited vision. It is his other, extremely acute senses of hearing, smelling and intuition that earn him the name Sees Behind Trees. Once he receives this great name and acknowledgement, he wonders how his name fits him. This leads him, finally, on a grand adventure where discovers a miraculous land of water, and goes through losses that transform him from boy to man. Dorris' portrayal of the humor, warmth, and wisdom through experience of Native American life vividly show a different era and way of being.

*Katherine Paterson, Jip, His Story (Lodestar, $; grades 5-8)

Jip received his name from having fallen off a gypsy wagon as a toddler and has grown up at the town poor farm. Despite the cruelty and the bareness of his life, Jip is happy with his lot, though he wonders often about those who deserted him. Once Jip begins to attend school, a string of mysteries begins to unfold and he discovers he is the son of an escaping slave woman and a white master. Suddenly, he is a victim of prejudice and must escape the slave catchers. Paterson's lyricism and imagery give dramatic expression to Jip and his mid-19th century world. Her fans will be pleased when Jip's resourceful teacher, whom he describes as "like a queen-no fancy dress or crown, but surely in command," turns out to be Lyddie, the heroine of a previous Paterson novel.

*Countless books have an antihero who's a bully-jock. I don't remember ever seeing through the eyes of a character like that until I read Jerry Spinelli's new novel, Crash (Knopf, $16.00; grades 4 and up) Crash has sported this nickname since the Christmas he got his first football helmet and rocketed bowled over a female cousin who was coming to visit. As the years pass, he adds to his tough-guy image by becoming a football hero who battles his way down the field and tormenting Penn Webb, a sensitive, vegetarian, environmentalist. Crash has a thick cruel skin until his beloved grandfather has a stroke, Crash begins to reevaluate the role he's lived for so many years. "I had always thought my name and me were the same thing," he wonders to himself, "Now there was a crack of daylight between them, like my shell was coming loose. It was scary." That crack widens until he begins to understand and like who he really is. Short chapters, humor, sports, and great characters make this a sure-win for reluctant readers and a great read aloud. 

Non-Fiction Sure Hits:

Joanna Cole, The Magic School Bus: Inside a Beehive (Scholastic, $15.99; grades 1-4)

Andrew Langley & Philip De Souza The Roman News and Anton Powell & Philip Steele, The Greek News (both from Candlewick, $15.99; grades 3-6)

Patricia Lauber, Hurricanes: Earth's Mightiest Storms (Scholastic, $16.95; grades 2 and up)

Sandra Markle, "Outside and In" series Sharks (Atheneum, $16.00; grades K-6)

Gary Paulsen, Puppies, Dogs, and Blue Northers: Reflections on Being Raised by a Pack of Sled Dogs (HBJ, $15.00; grades 5-8)

Martin Sandler, Civil War and Inventors (HarperCollins, $21.95; ages 7 and up);

Seymour Simon, Wildfires ( $15.00) and The Heart ( $16.00) (both from Morrow; grades 3 and up)

See Through History Series: Tim Wood, The Incas; Brian Williams, Ancient China

(Viking, $16.99; grades 3-8)

Kate Waters, On the Mayflower: Voyage of the Ship's Apprentice & a Passenger Girl (Scholastic, $16.96; grades 2-6)

Picture Book Biographies Certain to Succeed:

Barbara Cooney, Eleanor (Roosevelt) (Viking. $15.99; grades 3- 5)

Floyd Cooper, Mandela: from the life of the South African statesman (Philomel, $15.95; grades 4 and up)

Kathleen Krull, Wilma Unlimited: How Wilma Rudolph Became the World's Fastest Woman. (HBJ, $16.00; grades 2 and up)

Walter Dean Myers, Toussaint L'Ouverture: The Fight for Haiti's Freedom (Simon and Schuster, $16.00; grades 3-7)

Andrea and Brian Pinkney, Bill Pickett: Rodeo-Ridin' Cowboy (HBJ, $16.00; grades 1-5)

Diane Stanley, Leonardo Da Vinci (Morrow, $16.00; grades 4 and up)

Promising Poetry:

ed. Neil Philip, Earth Always Endures: Native American Poems, photos by Edward Curtis (Viking, $19.99; grades 3 and up)

Jack Prelutsky, a PIZZA the size of the SUN (Greenwillow, $18.00; grades K and up)

Shel Silverstein , Falling Up (HarperCollins, $15.95 ;grades K and up)

Favorite Characters Return:

*Strega Nona: Her Story as told to Tomie dePaola by Tomie dePaola (Putnam, $15.95; grades K-3)

*Shiloh Season by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor (Atheneum, $15.00; grades 4-8)

*Dead Letter: A Herculeah Jones Mystery by Betsy Byars (Viking, $13.99; grades 4-8)

Hidden among bookstore shelves are crowded with book-doll combination sets and volumes that pop-up, light up and entice with holographic amazements, are the quieter books. They might not scream as loudly, but they have a quality of being enjoyed again and again when the more gimmicky books are cast aside. Here are my bets for books that will be enjoyed long after the holiday season has passed.

Down the Road, written by Alice Schertle, illustrated by E.B. Lewis; (Harcourt Brace, $16.00; ages 4-8)

Piggie Pie, written by Margie Palatini, illustrated by Howard Fine; (Clarion, $13.95; ages 4-9)

Children Just Like Me written and photographed by Barnabas and Anabel Kindersley; (Dorling Kindersley, $16.95; ages 6-10)

Fairy Wings, story by Lauren Mills, paintings by Lauren Mills and Dennis Nolan

(Little Brown, $15.95; ages 5 and up)

Math Curse written by Jon Scieszka and illustrated by Lane Smith; (Viking, [($3.25+ $1.75) X3] + $1.99 = $16.99; ages 8 and up)

Paper costs have risen over 59% in the past year and so have the cost of children's books. Like most industries the children's book field seems controlled more and more by economics. In this fear-driven environment the "sure-to-sell" books rule. Reigning books usually have some kind of gimmick. There are proven titles that resurface, packaged with a doll or reformatted in a pop-up format. Well-known book characters make a new appearance in doll, board book, or pop-up packages. Other gimmick books call to consumers with the genius of gadgetry. Poetic story and the beautifully illustrated retellings of folk and fairy tales flourish, so that they surely have proven their financial viability.

Though the market has bent to the pressures of marketing, there are still books that seek to achieve excellence within the constraints and others that even dare to push the envelope of prescribed sure-sell. They are usually books that have been thoughtfully conceived and are worthy of purchase because they will be read again and again. Here then are some new releases chosen for their creative beauty, chosen because they shine, not glitter.

Folk and Fairy Tales

*Alix Berenzy gives a classical treatment to Rapunzel (Henry Holt, $15.95; ages 6 and up)

* Eric Kimmel retells Grimms' The Goose Girl (Holiday House, $15.95; ages 7 and up)

*Jane Kurtz retells an Ethiopian story, Pulling the Lion's Tail (Simon and Schuster, $15.00; ages 7 and up)

*Sheila MacGill-Callahan The Seal Prince (Dial, $15.99; ages 7 and up) .

* reteller Marianna Mayer, Turandot (Morrow, $16.00; ages 7 and up)

*Ruth Sanderson's Papa Gatto: An Italian Fairy Tale (Little Brown, $15.95; ages 6 and up)

*Princess Florecita and the Iron Shoes (Knopf, $16.95; ages 6 and up)

*Fairy Wings, a story by Lauren Mill, painted by Lauren Mills and Dennis Nolan (Little Brown, $15.95; ages 7 and up)

Unusual Characters

Enduring stories are often borne of characters that fascinate. It's the characters who live beyond the book's telling. It's characters that children remember until they grow up.

*Sophy and Auntie Pearl (Greenwillow, $15.00; ages 4-8)

*Liz Rosenberg's The Carousel (HBJ, $16.00; ages 6 and up)

* Kathleen Leverich, Best Enemies, Best Enemies Again(both Greenwillow, $14.00; Bullseye Books$4.99) and most recently, Best Enemies Forever (Greenwillow, $14.00)

Love of Language

The books most lost in marketing deluge are those that embody the literary spirit with their devotion to words and the splendor of sounds. Two books are noteworthy for their unusual approach.

*Patricia Polacco, Babushka's Mother Goose (Philomel, $17.95; for babies and up)

Alan Schroeder's Carolina Shout (Dial, $14.99; ages 6 and up)

Alice McLerran's The Ghost Dance (Clarion, $15.95; ages 7 to adult) Interaction

1993 Roundup of Children's Books

When I read in a recent copy of Publisher's Weekly that the children's book market boom is flattening out, I was relieved. One would think that a reviewer might welcome the 1,2000 a year title increase and doubling of children's bookstores that took place from 1985-1992. But this reviewer found herself wading through the glut of books, searching for quality in all that quantity. Now publishers are tightening their belts and focusing on books with "long-term survival." Now, those are the books that reviewers, parents, and children will appreciate... the books we want to read again and again! The happy news is that when I look back over the 1993 children's books, I already saw an increase in quality!

Philip Isaacson A Short Walk Around the Pyramids & Through the World of Art. Ages 7-12. (Knopf, $20.00)

Familiar characters Strega Nona Meets Her Match Ages 4-8. (Putnam, $14.95)

My favorite young adult novel this year is a sequel to Shabanu, Daughter of the Wind (Knopf, $3.99). In Suzanne Staples' newest book, Haveli, (Knopf, $18.00; ages 12 and up)

six of Ludwig Bemelmans' stories in Mad About Madeline. Ages 4-8. (Viking, $35.00)

Emergent readers will welcome books starring two of their favorite mystery characters:Ross' M&M and the Halloween Monster makes a paperback appearance(Puffin, $3.99) and Sharmat has a new book, Nate the Great and the Pillowcase (Delacorte, $12.95) Every child will be happy to welcome additions to two kid-loved interactive books. Waldo's back in Handford's Where's Waldo? In Hollywood (Candlewick, $14.95) Jean Marzollo has children object hunting in her newest, I Spy Mystery (Scholastic, $12.95)

Frank Asch and Vladimir Vagin The Flower Faerie (Scholastic, $14.95; ages 5-11).

Chris Van Allsburg The Sweetest Fig (Houghton Mifflin, $17.95;ages 6-adult. )

Older biography lovers, there's Newbery medalist Russell Freedman's Eleanor Roosevelt: A Life of Discovery (Clarion, $17.95; ages 9 and up)

Every year the number of children's books published by celebrities grows. This year the list of celebrities releasing children's books or tapes include writers like Amy Tan, James Michner, and Michael Dorris; actors like Shelly Duvall, Ben Kingsley, Max Von Sydow, Denzel Washington, Michael Caine, Whoopi Goldberg, and Wesley Eure of soap-opera fame. High fashion model Paulina Porzikova, singer Joni Mitchell have their names on children's book covers and Dom DeLuise has published a second book. Royalty publishes too-- The Duchess of York reads her Budgie adventures on tape and The Empress Michiko of Japan translates poems.

Book buyers should beware, those who shine in one calling may not star in the children's book field. Often the cutsey or preachy predominate over good writing and stories. This is not to say that celebrities are always unsuccessful.

Several offer good selections this season. Robin Williams The Fool and the Flying Ship. Music by the Klezmer Conservatory Band and outlandish illustrations by Henrik Drescher complete the merriment. (Ages 6 to adult, Rabbit Ears, $19.95) Also notable is Anna Quindlen's first children's book, The Tree That Came to Stay (Ages 4-8; Crown, $13.00). Restauranteur, Alice Waters' Fanny at Chez Panisse is also an excellent family read. (Ages 7-adult; HarperCollins, $23.00; see interview)

The children's book field has its own set of celebrities. These are authors and illustrators who have gained their reputations by continued commitment to their craft and their art. These artists' primary passion is children's books and their names are to be trusted!

Train Leaves the Station is by the late Eve Merriam Illustrations by Dale Gottlieb are primary colored and child like in style. (Ages 0-4; Holt, $14.95)

Audrey Wood's Silly Sally (Ages 0-5; HBJ, $13.95); Jeanne Titherington's Baby's Boat(Ages 0-3; Greenwillow, $14.00); Nancy White Carlstrom's Northern Lullaby illustrated by the amazing Dillons (Ages 0- adult; Philomel, $15.95) and Jim Aylesworth's Old Black Fly (Ages 0-6; Holt, $15.95)

For children that are ready for a real story, author-illustrator Elisa Kleven's The Lion and the Little Red BirdAges 3-8; Dutton, $13.50)

Other notables for beginning story lovers are Eric Kimmel's retelling of The Old Woman and Her Pig (Ages 3-6; Holiday House, $14.95); Marissa Moss's Knick Knack Paddywack (Ages 3-6; Houghton Mifflin, $13.95); and Gerald McDermott's Zomo the Rabbit (Ages 3-6; HBJ, $14.95)

Sophisticated readers who sill love picture books will thrill to the word humor of Lloyd Alexander and visual humor of Trina Schart Hyman in The Fortune-Tellers. Dutton, $15.00

Other older picture books the whole family will enjoy are: Robert San Souci's The Tsar's Promise (Philomel, $14.95) and The Samurai's Daughter (Dial, $15.00).Two amazing books by new authors and familiar illustrators are Michael Bedard's Emily (Ages 7- adult; Doubleday, $16.00) and Valiska Gregory's Through the Mickle Woods (Little Brown, $15.95).

Novels that speak to all ages are satisfying books for family reading. Katherine Paterson's The King's Equal (Ages 6- adult; HarperCollins, $17.00)

Beth Peck's sensitively illustrated version of Paul Gallico's The Snow Goose (Ages 7 to adult, Knopf, $16.00) and Beauty and the Beast by Nancy Willard and Barry Moser (Ages 7 to adult; HBJ, $19.95)

Avi's"Who Was That Masked Man, Anyway?" (Ages 9 to 13; Orchard, $14.95) Other noteworthy young adult novels are Gary Paulsen's The Haymeadow (Ages 11 and up; Delacorte, $15.00) and Jennifer Armstrong's Steal Away (Ages 11 and up; Orchard, $15.95). Jim Trelease has just published a new book that is just that. He compares his new Hey! Listen To This: Stories to Read Aloud to a literary Whitman's Sampler of sample stories and chapters. (Penguin, $11.00)

The most disturbing article I read this year was Tom Engelhardt's "Reading May Be Harmful To Your Kids" in June '91 Harper's Magazine. The premise spoke to the "starved nature" of many of the children's books appearing on best seller's lists. As a parent and consumer, I am drawn to children's books with beautiful illustrations and graphics, but as a children's book reviewer, I find that many of these books leave me hungry for more. Among the banquet of new books that appeared this year, here are some I think are filling, hearty, rich and delicious.

Reading and children's literature experts Margaret Mary Kimmel and Elizabeth Segel have expanded their guide, For Reading Out Loud! (Dell, $8.99)

Marni McGee's The Quiet Farmer Ages 2-6. (Atheneum, 1991)

David Pelham's Sam's SandwichAges 3-adult. (Dutton,$7.95)

Mary Hoffman's Amazing Grace Ages 3-8. (Dial, $13.95)

Panther Dream: A Story of the African Rainforest written by Wendy and Bob Weir (Book and cassette from Hyperion, $19.95)

The Rag Coat ,written and illustrated by Lauren Mills Ages 5-10. (Little Brown, $14.95)

Dogs Don't Tell Jokes, Louis Sacher Ages 7-11. (Knopf, $14.00)

Betsy Byar's has released Wanted: Mud Blossom ( Delacorte, $14.00), the fifth novel in her Not-Just-Anybody Family series. Also, Beverly Cleary, inspired by her character Leigh Botts and endless fan mail has published a sequel to her Newberry-winning Dear Mr. Henshaw entitled Strider. (Morrow, $13.95)

Wolf by the Ears, by Ann Rinaldi Ages 12 and up. (Scholastic, $13.95)

The Library of Congress has designated 1991 as the Year of the Lifetime Reader, an effort chaired by First Lady Barbara Bush. I have for years believed in family reading as primary means to literacy, but when I moved this summer, books took on a new significance. We left friends and circumstances of twelve years to take residence in a place where we knew no one. My strongest fantasy about moving was to slow down our fast-paced existence, but I find that life flows ever so quickly in North Carolina. I was surprised at how many parents work full time and I now see books not only as a means to a literacy, but as a way busy families can immediately access both intimacy and meaningful communication.

Bring Closeness Into Your Family With Song

Carol JonesThis Old Man Ages 0-5. (Houghton Mifflin, 1990)

Paul Zelinsky The Wheels on the Bus (Dial, 1990).

Nancy Hellen's Old MacDonald Had a Farm (Orchard, 1990);

Raffi's Baby Beluga, illustrated by Ashley Wolff (Crown, 1990); and photographer Bruce McMillan's Mary Had a Little Lamb (Scholastic, 1990)

Sharing Books That Invite Involvement

Vera Williams' "More More More," Said the Baby Ages 1-4. (Greenwillow,1990)

Sue Williams' I Went Walking Ages 1-5. (HBJ, 1990)

A Million Chameleons by James Young Ages 2-5. (Little Brown, 1990)

Tales to Talk About

Jill Wright's The Old Woman and the Jar of Uums Ages 4-8. (Putnam, 1990)

Leontyne Price & Leo and Diane Dillon Aida. Ages 6- adult. (HBJ, 1990) William Wise's picture book, The Black Falcon. Ages 6-9. (Philomel, 1990)

William Hook's The Legend of Belle Dorcas,etchings by Brian Pinkney add even more power to the story. Ages 6-9. (Knopf, 1990)

Nancy Willard's The High Rise Glorious Skittle Skat Roarious Sky Pie Angel Food Cake Ages 6- adult. (HBJ, 1990)

Fun For Fact Lovers

Non-fiction lovers will again be delighted by Knopf's Eyewitness books. For older readers are Money; Insect;Fossil; Fish; Ancient Egypt; Ancient Rome; Car; Flying Machine. (Knopf, 1990) New in the Eyewitness Junior series are: Amazing Birds;Mammals;Snakes;Spiders; Cats; Frogs and Toads; Lizards and Poisonous Animals . (Knopf, 1990)

Non-fiction pro Joanna Cole The Magic Bus Lost in the Solar System

(Scholastic, 1990)

I'm Ready to Read

Random House's Young Indiana Jones

Their "step-up" classics translate The Time Machine and Treasure Island into readable Stepping Stone White Bird by Clyde Bulla All books for ages 7-10.

Jackie French Koller's The Dragonling (Little Brown, 1990)

Middle Readers

Roald Dahl's Esio Trot Ages 7- 11. (Viking, 1990)

Judy BlumeFudge-A-Mania. 7-11. (Dial, 1990)

Pam Conrad's Stonewords ages 9-12. (Harper and Row, 1990)

Young Adult Books-Books to Share!

Cynthia Voigt. On Fortune's Wheel Ages 11 and up. (Atheneum, 1990)

Mildred TaylorRoll of Thunder, Hear My Cry and this year Ms. Taylor published The Road to Memphis Ages 11 and up. (Dial, 1990)

Holiday Books To Enjoy Every Year

Jan Brett's The Wild Christmas ReindeerAges 3-6. (Putnam, 1990)

Eric KimmelThe Chanukkah Gues (Holiday House, 1990)