Mouse Shapes (HBJ, $16.00, ages 3-6) by Ellen Walsh
Concept meets story as three ingenious mice shape-combine to escape a cat.
Blue Goose (Simon and Schuster, $15.99, ages 3-6) by Nancy Tafuri
Blue Goose and his farmyard friends paint a black-lined farmyard into vibrancy. Lots of opportunity to talk about colors and how they mix.
Do Unto Otters: A Book About Manners (Holt, $16.95, ages 5-8) by Laurie Keller
Politeness isn't preachy when a rabbit protagonist imagines how he'd like to be treated by his new neighbors.
Orange Pear Apple Bear (Simon and Schuster, $12.99, ages 3-5) by Emily Gravett
On the surface this looks like a simple naming book, but word order switches and punctuation changes add humor and read-aloud fun.
Ella, of Course (Harcourt, $16.00, ages 4-7) by Sarah Weeks and Doug Cushman
A problem-solving pig creates difficulties when her infatuation with an umbrella wreaks havoc. Finally creativity kicks in and cures a crisis.
The Gingerbread Girl (Dutton, $16.99, ages 4-7) by Lisa Ernst
The story of the Gingerbread Boy's "younger, wiser" sister has the repetitions and rhymes of the original, but a stronger protagonist and a happier conclusion.
The Sheep in Wolf's Clothing (Houghton Mifflin, $16.00, ages 5-8) by Helen Lester and Lynn Munsinger
Ewetopia "not comfortable in her own wool" is sneered at by the Pastureland flock until her quick wit save them. Word play extends the simple story for older listeners.
Knuffle Bunny Too (Hyperion, $16.99, ages 3-5) by Mo Willems
Trixie and her stuffed bunny, Knuffle, costar in their second picture book in a pre-school mix-up that leads to friendship.
Llama llama mad at mama (Viking, $15.99, ages 3-5) by Anna Dewdney
Feisty little llama is on a nightmare shopping trip that starts with a sulk, mounts to a full blown temper and ends with a happy resolution for both child and adult.
Diary of a Fly (HarperCollins, $15.99, ages 4-8) by Doreen Cronin and Harry Bliss
Author and illustrator unite in a third book to give a fly's eye view of the world with a fictional, fact-tinged diary.
The Lemonade Club (Philomel, $16.99, ages 9 and up) by Patricia Polacco
Polacco mines her rich family history to tell how her daughter's remarkable teacher offered lessons to help her deal with a friend's cancer and make "lemons into lemonade".
Dadblamed Union Army Cow (Candlewick, $16.99, ages 9 and up) by Susan Fletcher and Kimberly Root
Strong voice makes story of a true Civil War tale about a cow that won't let her owner enter battle alone.
Chicken-Chasing Queen of Lamar County (FSG, $16.00, ages 5-8) by Janice Harrington and Shelly Jackson
An affable new heroine with quirky habits brings to life farm fun.
On Safari: 6 Amazing Pop-up Scenes (DK Publishing, $12.99, ages 3-6) by Richard Ferguson
Photographic pop-ups describe zebras, giraffes, lions, ostriches, and elephants. Write-ups are simple and habitats well-described in a "Fact File" slipped between pages.
Knut:How One Little Polar Bear Captivated the World (Scholastic, $16.99, ages 5-8) by Juliana, Isabella and Craig Hatkoff
Simple text and cuddly photographs illustrate how a polar bear club lives and learns because of his keeper.
A Seed is Sleepy (Chronicle, $16.95, ages 4-8) by Sylvia Aston and Sylvia Long
Facts and poetry, illustrative fancy and reality to give a dreamy dimensional understanding of seeds.
A Mama for Owen (Simon and Schuster, $15.99, ages 4-7) by Marion Dane Bower illustrated by John Butler
Without avoiding hard facts, gentle writing and soft illustrations tell the story of the tsunami-orphaned hippo and Mzee, his adoptive tortoise parent.
Vulture View (Holt, $16.99, ages 4-7) written by April Sayre, illustrated by Steve Jenkins
Active verbs, rhyming text, and dynamic collages give a strong picture of the bird who seeks"stinky" feasts.
Elephant and Piggie books (Hyperion, $8.99, ages 3-6) by Mo Willems
Simplicity and humor combine for a successful I-Can-Read series.
The Arrival (Scholastic, $19.99, ages 10 and up) by Shaun Tan
Four years of research, development and drawing went into this wordless graphic novel about a man seeking hope for his family in a strange land faraway. The allegory's unusual images are anchored by recognizable emotions.
Henry's Freedom Box: A True Story from the Underground Railroad
(Scholastic, $16.99, ages 6-9) by Ellen Levine, illustrated by Kadir Nelson
An emotional biography of a man so ripped apart by family loss that he mails himself to freedom.
Pocahontas: Princess of the New World (Walker, $16.95, ages 6-9) by Kathleen Krull, illustrated by David Diaz
Brightly illustrations and lively writing capture the life of a joyous Indian princess.
Sitting Bull Remembers (HarperCollins, $16.99, ages 7-10) by Ann Turner, illustrated by Wendell Minor
A lyrical view of history through the eyes of the famous Sioux chief.
Nothing but Trouble: The Story of Althea Gibson (Knopf, $16.99, ages 6-9) by Sue Stauffacher, illustrated by Greg Couch
Blurs of color and dramatic writing introduce the "wildest tomboy in the history of Harlem" who learns to control her temper and "beat the liver and lights" out of the ball at Wimbledon.
Alive: The Living, Breathing Human Body Book (Dorling Kindersley, $24.99, ages 7 and up) by Iain Smyth
The book lives up to its name as you hear heart beat, see lights flash for brain impulses, and read intriguing sound bytes to understand the body's functions.
Giant Pop-Out Vehicles & Giant Pop-Out Shapes (Chronicle, $10.95, ages 3-5) by Amelia Powers
Surprising images spring out of these books to bring truck world and early concepts to life. Both books intrigue and invite young children's interaction.
The Chronicles of Narnia (HarperCollins, $29.99, all ages) by Robert Sabuda
Exquisite pop-outs give the classic new life.
Woolves in the Sitee (Front Street, $17.95, ages 10 and up) by Margaret Wild, illustrated by Anne Spudvila
Phonetic misspellings become voice as Ben who "yoosed to hav a familee" hides from "woolves". Dark illustrations and ominous tone require sophisticated readers.
Chester (Kids Can Press, $16.95, ages 4-7) by Melanie Watt
The wanna-be hero cat takes on the author in a war of words that shows Chester's red pen is mightier than Watt's words.
Splendid offerings include: Hans Christian Anderson's The Tinderbox, by Stephen Mitchell and Bagram Ibatoulline (Candlewick, $17.99); Sugar Cane:A Caribbean Rapunzel by Patricia Storace and Raul Colon (Hyperion, $16.99); Grimms' The Bearskinner by Laura Schlitz and Max Grafe (Candlewick, $16.99); Little Red Riding Hood (Little Brown, $16.99) by Jerry Pinkney.