Children

A wonderful folktale about Ping, a young boy with a green thumb who is overjoyed when he learns about the emperor’s gardening contest. Unfortunately, despite all of his loving efforts, Ping’s seed will not grow, and he must show the emperor and empty pot. I won’t give away the twist, but I will say that you should check out this book, which also boasts gorgeous illustrations.

Nothing gets kids reading more, in my opinion, than short, funny poems. This book is a hilarious collection of farm poems filled with puns, idioms and homophones. Kids will delight in the silly rhymes and fun illustrations by Eugenie Fernandes, while parents and teachers will appreciate Hoce’s play with language and stimulating vocabulary.

I don't care how badly critics decry books like this and "Everyone Poops:" kids get a kick out of this book, and it provides teachers and parents an opportunity to teach students more serious biological concepts in a light-hearted, non-intimidating manner.

Have you checked out Seder’s scanimation books (he also wrote Gallop! And Swing!)? These are totally cool, and kids and adults alike delight in optical illusions that make animals appear to be in motion. A “fireworks” book that produces plenty of “ooos” and “ahhs” from young readers.

Baby bird's quest to find mommy is funny and a hit with kids and adults alike.

What a simply wonderful story about an elderly woman who wants to bake an apple pie but has no apples. She has plums, though, so she loads them in a basket and embarks on an adventure of trades that leads to a terrific lesson in sharing and kindness. This is one of my favorite books to read to my own children.

Fans of the Pinkalicious books will get a kick out of this tale of a girl’s search for the perfect topping. Clever, with a good anti-bullying message (man – will bullies ever go away?).

This book won the Caldecott in the 60s, and it is still a great book for kids today. Not only does it have beautiful illustrations: it is the perfect book for this February. The groundhog saw his shadow, which reminds us there are six more weeks of winter. This is also Black History Month, and - correct me if I'm wrong, librarians - I believe this book was the first illustrated children's book in color that features a main character who is African-American.

Little ones who are eagerly anticipating their first day of school will especially enjoy this charming book – with terrific illustrations by Patricia Krebs.

Your little ones will get a kick out of the hilarious chain reaction catastrophe that arises from this precious read aloud, featuring great illustrations by Will Hillenbrand.

Any book that makes vocabulary for kids earns raves from me. This is an entertaining and informative story that teaches kids how to find clues into meanings based on word affixes and roots.

Life is how you perceive it, and this wonderful book with terrific illustrations by R. Gregory Christie shows kids how to turn negatives into positives. A really good family read aloud.

A baby board book that I had to check out simply because of its irresistible title. Appropriate for any city-folk parents, with fun illustrations by Nathalie Dion.

I was alerted to this book while watching an excellent profile piece on CBS Sunday Morning (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if you’d like a transcript of the piece). Even though the treasure (12 pieces of jewelry hidden at state parks throughout America) has already been found, the real treasure is sitting with your child and enjoying this simple yet lovely story.

Subtitled “Lost Treasure of Kolob Canyon,” this is a really easy chapter book that boys seem especially drawn to, as it deals with camping, lost treasures and Indians. This reminded me of the simple books I read when I was a cub scout growing up. Why aren’t there more books like this nowadays? I guess I am starting to sound like a reminiscent curmudgeon.