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People, places and things are becoming more important to kindergartners, and the following books cleverly give simple, straightforward information relating to the real world.

ABC Animals: A Bedtime Story, written by Darice Bailer, illus. by Judith Moffatt, (Simon & Schuster, 2005), 52p, Ages 3-6.
A sweet alphabet book where each page is cut in the shape of the alphabet letter with a baby animal on each side that represents the letter.

Actual Size, written & illus. by Steve Jenkins (Houghton Mifflin Co., 2004), 32p, Ages 5-8.
On each page, animals in cut paper style are shown in their actual size. On some pages, only a hand or foot is depicted due to the largeness of the animal. In thumbnail images, the endpapers explain about habitat and behavior. This is a great book for teaching concepts.

Alphabet Mystery, written by Audrey Wood, illus. by Bruce Wood, (The Blue Sky Press, 2003), 40p, Ages 3+.
An adventure and mystery surround the disappearance of little x. The lower case letters of Charlie's Alphabet search for the missing letter aboard a flying pencil which takes them to a castle of the gigantic capital M.

Alphabet Rescue, written by Audrey Wood, illus. by Bruce Wood, (The Blue Sky Press, 2006), 40p, Ages 3+.
When Charley visits his grandparents for the summer, his lowercase letters decide to visit Alphabet City, where they were made. They repair an old, broken-down fire truck, help letters M, U, and D wash a dirty car, rescue a C-a-t from a tree, and help the big letters put out a fire at the letter-making factory. Along with "Alphabet Adventure" and "Alphabet Mystery", these stories are great tools for helping children with their alphabet.

Animal Stackers, written by Jennifer Belle, illus. by David McPhail, (Hyperion Books, 2005),
36p, Ages 5-9.
Alphabet, acrostic, and poetry combine to make this delightful children's book. From Ant to Zebra, the letters are arranged vertically on the pages or "stacked", and each letter of the animal's name begins a line of poetry. Children will enjoy the whimsical illustrations, as well as the clever poetry.

Bears on Chairs, written by Shirley Parenteau, illus. by David Walker, (Candlewick Press, 2009), 32p, Ages 2-5.
Four adorable small bears fit nicely into four small chairs, until Big Brown Bear arrives looking for his own chair. "That big bear/needs one whole chair./There's none to spare/for Big Brown Bear." They experiment with several arrangements, but Big Bear is just too big. Only when the chairs are placed together in a row is there room for everyone. The storyline is perfect for teaching little ones sharing and kindness.

Big Wheels, written/illus. by Anne Rockwell, (Walker & Co., 2006), 24p, Ages 3-6.
Digging, lifting, pushing, dumping, shoveling, and scraping, big wheels move the world-in this case, a pig world. Each machine's function is presented clearly and precisely for preschoolers to understand. The illustrations contain crisp colors and clear lines. Other books in Anne Rockwell's transportation series are "Boats" with bears, "Trucks" with cats, "Cars" with dogs, and "Planes" with rabbits.

Blue Goose, written/illus. by Nancy Tafuri, (Simon & Schuster, 2008), 32p, Ages 1-4.
Teaching the basic concepts of primary and secondary colors, children will have fun watching Blue Goose, Red Hen, Yellow Chick, and White Duck paint their colorless barnyard while Farmer Gray is away. They color the fence white, the flowers yellow, the barn red, roof blue, and the grass and trees green. By combining colors, they paint the barn doors purple, the shutters orange, and the sky a light blue for a very surprised farmer when he returns. "And when it was time for bed, what did Goose do? She pained everything blue-except for the moon." This is a simple and engaging way for young children to learn basic concepts of primary and secondary colors, as well as animals.

Bringing Down the Moon, written by Jonathan Emmett, illus. by Vanessa Cabban, (Candlewick Press, 2001), 32p, Ages 3-6.
Mole would love to own the moon, but his friends remind him that some things are not as simple or close as they look. A good book to discuss the concept of distance.

Cat Count, written & illus. by Betsy Lewin, (Henry Holt & Co., 2003), 32p, Ages 3-7.
What begins as a simple counting book becomes more involved as cats are counted in words and numerals. The end page indicates how the totals are obtained.

Centipede's 100 Shoes, written & illus. by Tony Ross, (Henry Holt & Co., 2003), 32p, Ages 4-7.
A little centipede decides that his new shoes are a lot of trouble to put on and take off, so he decides to share them with all his friends.

Chica Chica Boom Boom, written by Bill Martin/John Archambault, illus. by Lois Ehlert, (Simon & Schuster, 1989), 40p, Ages 3-6.
Already a classic in the realm of alphabet books, the rhythm and rhyme appeals to children as well as adults. "A told B, and B told C, I'll meet you at the top of the coconut tree." All the letters race up a coconut tree, only to fall from over-crowding.

Chicka Chicka 1 2 3, written by Bill Martin Jr. / Michael Sampson, illus. by Lois Ehlert, (Simon & Schuster, 2004), 40p, Ages 3-7.
In a sequel to the classic "Chica Chica Boom Boom," numbers from one to one hundred race to the top of the apple tree, pile up, are threatened by bumblebees, and rescued by Zero. An absolute read aloud for every young child.

Click, Clack, Splish, Splash: A Counting Adventure, written by Doreen Cronin, illus. by Betsy Lewin, (Atheneum Books, 2006), 24p, Ages 2-5.
The farmyard animals introduced in "Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type" are making mischief again. As the farmer naps on his couch, duck engineers a rescue of the farmer's aquarium goldfish. Numbers from ("1 farmer sleeping") to ("10 buckets lined up in a row") are used as the menagerie tiptoe, climb, and splash, each with buckets full of goldfish, to their final destination - the pond.

Cookies: Bite-Size Life Lessons, written by Amy Krouse Rosenthal, illus. by Jane Dyer, (HarperCollins, 2006), 40p, Ages 4-8.
Children are given the definitions of important behavior through the activities of making, baking, and eating cookies. For example, "COOPERATE means, how about you add the chips while I stir?" Other definitions include patience, pride, modest, respectfulness, trustworthiness, fairness, unfairness, compassion, greed, generosity, pessimism, optimism, politeness, honesty, courage, envy, loyalty, open-mindedness, regretfulness, contentment, and, 'WISE means, I used to think I knew everything about cookies, but now I realize I know about one teeny chip's worth."

Count With Maisy: Board Book and Number Blocks, written/illus. by Lucy Cousins, (Candlewick Press, 2008), 22p, Ages 1+.
From one to ten, young children will love counting a ladybug on Maisy's nose, buckles on her pirate shoes, fish in an aquarium, as well as fleas on an accommodating elephant. Along with the colorful board book, ten bright colored blocks are included, featuring the same number on two sides, and illustrations on the other sides. For children who love puzzles, the blocks can be rearranged to match the illustration on the book cover. Bright and appealing artwork, plus a clever concept, makes this a winner for all youngsters.

Dilly-Dally & the Nine Secrets, written by Elizabeth McDonald, illus. by Ken Brown, (Dutton Children's Books, 1997), 28p, Ages 3-7.
Dilly-Dally has nine reasons why she sits in the reeds. By the end of this delightful counting book. Dilly-Dally's nine secrets have cracked open and the greedy magpie lurking near hurries home to feed her own little ten secrets.

Eating the Alphabet: Fruits & Vegetables From A to Z, written/illus. by Lois Ehlert, (Red Wagon Books, 1996 HC, 2006 Board), 28p, Ages 1-3.
This lap-size alphabet board book features juicy, mouth-watering fruits and vegetables. From the well-known apples, bananas, grapes, and lettuce to the lesser-known currants, figs, eggplants, and okra, the words and letters are set in bold type, and are shown in uppercase and lowercase. This beautifully rendered alphabet book will, hopefully, encourage parents and children to sample new foods as well as enjoy old favorites.

Eats, Shoots & Leaves: Why Commas Really Do Make a Difference!, written by Lynne Truss, illus. by Bonnie Timmons, (G. P. Putnam's Sons, 2006), 32p, Ages 7+.
It's amazing how misplaced punctuation changes the meaning of sentences, sometimes with hilarious consequences. One sentence is written on each two-page spread, but depending on the placement of a comma, the meaning is drastically altered. "Look at that huge hot dog!" versus "Look at that huge, hot dog!" One page features a delicious meal, while the other page presents a very large, uncomfortable dog. Punctuation may be a boring subject, but not from this book. Endpapers explain each sentence.

Five Little Monkeys Go Shopping,written/illus. by Eileen Christelow, (Houghton Mifflin Co., 2007), 32p, Ages 3-6.
Mama and her five little darlings shop the day before school begins. They are instructed not to wander off, but the curious little monkeys have other ideas. One has to use the bathroom, two look for a water fountain, and several check out the toy department. Each time Mama searches for her missing monkeys, she returns only to discover more monkeys than she left behind. A helpful saleslady makes a store announcement for all monkeys to return to the children's department, and the adults sort out their missing children. Parents will appreciate the simple math lessons of counting, addition, and subtraction that are woven into this energetic and humorous story.

Follow the Line, written/illus. by Laura Ljungkvist, (Viking Children's Books, 2006), 32p,
Ages 4-8.
From the first page to the last, one continuous line journeys through many places as it flows across cityscapes, curves around people, and winds through traffic. Each scene contains questions, from traffic lights and helicopters to windmills and sailboats. This clever and innovative counting book will definitely challenge children to count, observe, and think. It's also fun to trace the line with one's finger from cover to cover.

Gobble Gobble Crash!: A Barnyard Counting Bash, written by Julie Stiegemeyer, illus. by Valeri Gorbachev, (Dutton Children's Books, 2008), 32p, Ages 3+. Children will delight in this counting and rhyming barnyard story where four noisy turkeys disturb a sleeping farm one night. The wild turkeys smash into the chicken coop, bang into the house, and slop in the pigpen. "Gobble-Gobble-Crash! Turkeys landed with a thump/In the middle of the barnyard, right beside the water pump. EIGHT little goats laughed and wrestled in the straw,/And the crows from next door called, "Caw! Caw! Caw!" Mama Hen and Mrs. Maggie Mouse scold the turkeys, but the Farmer threatens to make dinner out of them. The animals help conceal the rowdy visitors from the farmer. The counting reverses to depict sleeping animals from 10 baby robins, 9 pink pigs, 8 little goats, 7 tiny mice, 6 chicks, 5 white geese, 4 sheep, 3 kittens, 2 baby cows, to 1 horse. The barnyard finally quiets down, including the farmer, until the commotion begins again. This noisy, action-filled counting story is great fun for all. Children will enjoy finding the hidden turkeys, who manage to outsmart the farmer.

Gone Wild: An Endangered Animal Alphabet, written/illus. by David McLimans, (Walker Books for Young Readers, 2006), 40p, All Ages.
Twenty-six endangered animals are represented in this impressive alphabet book. Each page features a black and white letter incorporating characteristics of each animal, the animal's English and Latin name, upper case letter and lower case letter, and a red-lined box featuring a small image of the animal, information on its class, habitat, range, threats, and status (Critically Endangered, Endangered, or Vulnerable). Endpapers include a paragraph on each animal as well as a list of websites for additional information and references for further readings. Not only is this unusual book a tool for raising awareness of the problem, but it is a very effective art book for students above the elementary grades.

Gossie & Friends: A First Flap Book, written/illus. by Olivier Dunrea, (Houghton Mifflin Co., 2006), 12p, Ages 1-4.
Small and yellow Gossie, Gertie with her blue boots, forgetful little Peedie, perpetually hungry BooBoo, and stomping Ollie are back to teach little ones about colors, seasons, counting, and concepts with easy to lift flaps. These endearing little goslings will capture everyone's heart.

How Do Dinosaurs Learn Their Colors?, written by Jane Yolen, illus. by Mark Teague, (The Blue Sky Press, 2006 Board), 12p, Ages 3-5.
Ten dinosaurs share and play with items containing red, purple, green, blue, pink, yellow, brown, and, "white chalk marks on an old black slate,/and an orange, backpack-don't be late!"

How Do Dinosaurs Play With Their Friends? written by Jane Yolen, illus. by Mark Teague, (The Blue Sky Press, 2006 Board), 12p, Ages 3-5.
Romping and stomping dinosaurs teach children how to share toys, give turns on bikes, play games, and care for each other. Names of the dinosaurs featured are hidden on each page for kids to locate.

I. Q., It's Time, written/illus by Mary Ann Fraser, (Walker Books, 2005), 32p, Ages 4-8.
Children will learn about the ways to keep time (analog and digital), wall clocks, wristwatches, and stopwatches, as well as differences between the minute and hour hands, how to count by fives, and the number of hours in a day. All this information is contained within the story of a little classroom mouse who wishes to make a surprise for Parents" Night.

The Lion's Share: A Tale of Halving Cake and Eating It, Too, written/illus. by Matthew McElligott, (Walker Books for Young Readers, 2009), 32p, Ages.
4-8. When invited to the Lion's dinner party, Ant is on her best behavior and arrives on time. During dinner, she is shocked at the other animal's manners. "The elephant talked about himself constantly. The hippo never wiped her mouth. The gorilla threw his food, and the warthog tried to eat the flowers." When dessert is served, each animal takes half of the remaining cake before passing it on. Only crumbs are left for Ant, and nothing for Lion, so she promises to bake him another cake. Not to be outdone, each animal doubles the previous offer. When its Elephant's turn, he announces that he will bake 256 peanut butter cakes. Children are not only presented clever math concepts of halving and doubling, but also they receive lessons on good manners and sharing with others. Inside covers illustrate the fractions used.

Little 1, written by Ann Rand, illus. by Paul Rand, (Chronicle Books, $15.95,
ISBN 0-8118-5004-8), 40p, Ages 5-9.
On his quest to find a friend, lonely Little 1 finds himself quickly rejected. The two yellow pears tell him, "2 is company, but 2 plus 1 is 3, and that would be a crowd." Bears, bees, umbrellas, ants, mice, books, and fish don't want him either, until a circle rolls by and they decide to play together as 10. Originally published in 1962.

Little Bitty Mousie, written by Jim Aylesworth, illus. by Michael Hague, (Walker Books, 2007), 32p, Ages 3-6.
In a delightful alphabet and rhyming book, a mischievous little mouse scampers, sniffs, nibbles, peeks, and climbs around a house, curious about everything she encounters. "Tip tippy tippy tippy/Went her little mousie toes./Sniff sniffy sniffy sniffy/Went her little mousie nose." She sneaks through the house and enjoys many fascinating and tasty objects until she meets one very scary, sleeping cat. From "She saw a shiny Apple" to "She heard the sound of Z'ing-/Soft, soft breathing, like a snore." Children will enjoy this blend of adventure and concept.

Maisy's Book Tower, written/illus. by Lucy Cousins, (Candlewick Press, 2006), 20p, Ages 2-5.
These four tiny, chunky board books are perfect for little hands to stack and explore. Each one with a different theme: Maisy's Favorite Animals, Maisy's Favorite Clothes, Maisy's Favorite Things, and Maisy's Favorite Toys. All are presented in bright and vibrant illustrations that preschoolers will love.

Mary Poppins From A To Z, written by P. L. Travers, illus. by Mary Shepard, (Harcourt, Inc., 2006), 56p, Ages 8+.
Different from most alphabet books, P. L. Travers has written twenty-six vignettes around her beloved Mary Poppins, the famous Banks family, and several other characters from her classic novels. Each vignette begins with a letter from the alphabet and uses an abundance of words containing that letter. For example, "D is for Dinner. Mrs. Brill, quite Distracted, Dashes in with the roast Duck and nearly Drops the Dish." Fun to listen to and read aloud. Originally published in 1962.

Math Fables: Lessons That Count, written by Greg Tank, illus. by Heather Cahoon, (Scholastic Press, 2004), 40p, Ages 3-6.
Through charming fables, young children will enjoy an introduction to counting and grouping of numbers as well as learning about patience, cooperation, courage, friendship, and appreciation.

Max's ABC, written/illus. by Rosemary Wells, (Viking Children's Books, 2006), 32p, Ages 4+.
Max's ants escape from their ant farm and enjoy taking bites of his birthday cake, while Max pours a cup of cranberry juice. Those ants are busy little critters, marching through the alphabet in search of food. Sister Ruby tries to help round up them up, even trying to use the vacuum cleaner on the busy insects. Nothing works, until the ants become weary and return to their ant farm for some ZZZ's.

My Little Yellow Taxi, written/illus. by Stephen T. Johnson, (Red Wagon Books, 2006), 14p, Ages 3-7.
Sixteen interactive features will delight young children as they sit in the driver's seat of a yellow taxi and fill the gas tank, check the oil, test the tires for air, put snacks into the glove compartment, insert a key into the ignition, put the gearshift into drive, adjust the rearview mirror, check the windshield wipers, turn on the taxi light and meter, and fasten a seatbelt. A clock on every page shows the minutes needed to make all these adjustments. Many fun parts and activities make this a great novelty book for eager young drivers.

Monster Trucks!, written/illus. by Mark Todd, (Houghton Mifflin Co, 2005 Board), 26p,
Ages 1-4.
For preschoolers who love trucks, this board books is perfect. From the milk truck called Senor Moo, to the snowplow named Mr. Salty and the fire truck, Big Red, this board books is perfect for reading aloud.

Mouse Count, written/illus. by Ellen Stoll Walsh, (Red Wagon Books, 1995 HC, 2006 Board), 30p, Ages 1-3.
Always careful to guard for snakes, ten small mice become sleepy and forget to keep watch. Counting one by one, the snake plops them into a jar and searches for more, until all ten are captured. When the greedy snake seeks more mice, the ten overturn the jar and, "ten, nine, eight . . ." climb out and flee. Now in lap-size format, this concept book was considered one of the best books of 1989.

Mouse Shapes, written/illus. by Ellen Stoll Walsh, (Harcourt Children's Books, 2007), 40p,
Ages 3-7.
While fleeing from a dangerous enemy, three clever mice find a way to trick the sneaky cat by using shapes and colors. They discover a variety of colorful circles, triangles, rectangles, and squares in which to hide and soon realize that the shapes can be assembled to make large, scary looking cat-size mice. Surprised by the huge mice cutouts, the cat runs away, and the mice decide to make Swiss cheese from the shapes. Children will love this introduction to shapes through a clever and humorous story.

My Very First Library, written/illus. by Eric Carle, (Philomel Books, 2006), 10p ea., Ages 2+.
All four of Eric Carl's concept board books are together in one slipcase for children in the process of learning colors, shapes, numbers, and words. Children can flip the top and bottom half of each page to find matching colors, shapes, and words. In "My Very First Book of Numbers", numbers on the top half of the pages match with the same number of fruit on the bottom pages. Charming, bright colored collage illustrations make this a worthy addition to a preschooler's library.

Not a Box, written/illus. by Antoinette Portis, (HarperCollins, 2006), 32p, Ages 2+.
Pretending is a lot of fun, especially for a young rabbit with only a box for company. Through a series of questions and answers, the rabbit is asked why he is sitting in, standing on, spraying, and wearing a box. He answers, "It's not a Box!" Instead, he pretends it's a racecar, a mountain, a burning building, and a robot. Simple line drawings and repetition of words is also perfect for preschoolers who are learning word recognition.

On Market Street: 25th Anniversary Edition, written by Arnold Lobel, illus. by Anita Lobel, (Greenwillow Books, 2006), 40p, Ages 3-7.
A small child stops at the stores on Market Street and purchases items that begin with each letter of the alphabet. Whether its apples, noodles, or wigs, each letter and word is represented by a vendor dressed completely in each product for sale. This is a treat among alphabet books and received the Caldecott Honor Book award in 1981.

One Lonely Sea Horse, by Saxton Freymann & Joost Elffers, (Arthur A. Levine Books, 2000), 28p, Ages 3-6.
A clever counting book with underwater creatures in shapes of fruit and vegetables, such as banana octopi and angelfish peppers.

One Some Many, written by Marthe Jocelyn, illus. by Tom Slaughter, (Tundra Books, 2004 HC, 2006 Board), 16p, Ages 2-5. "One Some Many" introduces the concept of quantity, incorporating size, shape, and color. An apple core reveals "hardly any." Two flowers become four, with an explanation of "a few is more than two." The oversized and spare text is also beneficial to beginning readers.

One, Two, Three, written/illus. by Tom Slaughter, (Tundra Books, 2003 HC, 2006 Board), 16p, Ages 2-5. "1 2 3" gives toddlers the basics of size, shape, and color, while preschoolers will enjoy the counting concepts of 1 to 10. A closer look will reveal that one apple has one stem, one leaf, and one big bite out of it. There are also striped fish, colorful balls, sailboats, buttons, glasses, flowers, dominoes, buildings, and trees.

Over in the Ocean In a Coral Reef, written by Marianne Berkes, illus. by Jeanette Canyon, (Dawn Publications, 2004), 32p, Ages 3-7.
Illustrations from polymer clay feature sea creatures and their babies cavorting in and around a coral reef. Children will also have fun counting the ten different types of marine life. End pages give information on coral reefs, the various animals portrayed, and creative tips from the author and illustrator.

Over, Under, written by Marthe Jocelyn, illus. by Tom Slaughter, (Tundra Books, 2005), 24p, Ages 2-5.
A great concept book for young children that explores opposites, size, shape, and color. The oversized and spare text is also beneficial to beginning readers.

Peter Rabbit Who Lives Here?, written by Beatrix Potter, (Frederick Warne & Company, 2008), 12p, Ages 2+.
As Peter Rabbit hops back to his burrow, he passes many friends, who cheerfully greet him-Jeremy Fisher, who is busy with his fishing pole, Squirrel Nutkin, storing his nuts in a tree, Miss Tittlemouse, peeking through her front door, and Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle, who invites him in for a cup of tea. Being a very tired rabbit, Peter scurries home where his mother, "brewed him a cup of camomile tea and he went straight to bed." This interactive board book, with a chunky revolving wheel, sturdy pull-tabs, and flaps is perfect for little fingers to investigate.

Piggies, written by Audrey Wood, illus. by Don Wood, (Harcourt, Inc., 2006), 32p, Ages 3-7.
On a child's hands, each digit takes on the personality of a little pig. Whimsical little fat piggies, smart piggies, long piggies, silly piggies, and wee piggies romp and cavort on a child's fingers. At bedtime, they slip down the child's tummy and dance on toes before going to sleep. Children will love the antics and personalities of each piggie, especially through the hot/cold, clean/dirty, and good pages. Even at bedtime, there is one little piggy still reading by flashlight. Originally published in 1991, this classic is now reissued with a CD containing a reading of the story along with seven songs.

Prehistoric Actual Size, writtem, illus. by Steve Jenkins, (Houghton Mifflin, 2005),
32p, Ages 4-10.
A very interesting presentation of prehistoric animals. From a single-celled Protozoa to a 45-foot Giganotosaurus, the animals are featured in their exact size. In some cases, children will only see a head, or teeth, but enough to give them an idea of proportions. End papers contain more information on each of the eighteen animals.

Q is for Duck: An Alphabet Guessing Game, written by Mary Elting/Michael Folsom, illus. by Jack Kent, (Clarion Books, HC 2005, Paper 2005), 64p, Ages 4-7.
A clever alphabet and riddle book that will keep children challenged by guessing why A is for zoo, B is for dog, and C is for hen. Children must turn the pages for the answers.

Scribbleville, written/illus. by Peter Holwitz, (Philomel Books, 2005), 40p, Ages 4+.
Straight lines are nowhere to be found in the town of Scribbleville, until one day a stranger arrives and begins to build a square house. Most townspeople think he does not belong. Only one child looks beyond and sees the beauty in every kind of line.

Seven Little Rabbits, written by John Becker, illus. by Barbara Cooney, (Walker Books, 2007), 32p, Ages 2-6.
Repetition and rhyme invite children to count their way to sleep. Seven rabbits walk down the road to visit their friend who is a toad. One by one, they become tired, turn around, and take a nap at mole's hole. "Then/The seventh little rabbit/Went to sleep-/Shh, don't say 'Peep"-/He's tucked in bed/And now, instead,/There are . . ./Six little rabbits/Walkin' down the road/Walkin' down the road/Six little rabbits/Walkin' down the road/To call on old friend toad." Originally published in 1973, the repetitive verses may please young children; however, adults may find themselves nodding off before the children.

Snail Trail, written and illus. by Ruth Brown, (Crown Books, 2000), 24p, Ages 3-6.
This beautifully crafted picture book introduces children to simple directional concepts, as Slimy the snail sets out on a journey around the backyard and faces all types of obstacles.

Ten Seeds, written & illus. by Ruth Brown, (Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2001),
24p, Ages 2-6.
Touching on the number concept as well as the stages of a plant, children will love learning how many creatures in the garden plus ten seeds can multiply.

This Truck, written & illus. by Paul Collicutt, (Farrar, Straus, Giroux, 2004), 32p, Ages 3-6.
Another great title in Collicutt's series about modes of transportation. Truck lovers will delight in everything from a simple pick up to the NASA Space Crawler. The endpapers feature labeled historic and modern trucks.

This Rocket, written/illus. by Paul Collicutt, (Farrar, Straus, Giroux, 2005), 32p, Ages 3-6.
An impressive display of rockets and spacecraft are presented for young enthusiasts. From small rockets at a Fourth of July celebration to the space shuttle Columbia, information is given in simple text with endpapers that identify specific models and detail the Apollo space mission.

Tiny, written by Paul Rogers, illus. by Korky Paul, (Kane/Miller Book Publishers, 2002),
32p, Ages 3-7.
It's all a matter of perspective. When a flea falls off a dog and glazes up at the millions of stars in the sky, he realizes that he is not so small after all.

Trucks Roll!, written by George Ella Lyon, illus. by Craig Frazier, (Simon & Schuster, 2007), 40p, Ages 3-7.
"Stop for traffic lights./Stop for tolls./Stop for pork chops/and cinnamon rolls." Huge trucks carry a multitude of items over the highways. Loads of apple juice, trees, ice cream, bulldozers, puzzles, spaceships, and gigantic chocolate chip cookies are hauled through mountains and towns, over rivers, and across deserts. In spite of the weather, the trucks keep right on rolling until they stop for gas, to weigh their freight, or make an overnight stop. Children will ask for this book that is filled with bright colors and a simple rhyming text, again and again.

A Very Improbable Story: A Math Adventure, written by Edward Einhorn, illus., Adam Gustavson, (Charlesbridge Publishing, HC/PB 2008), 32p, Ages 7-10.
What are the odds of awaking with a talking cat on one's head? One morning Ethan wakes up with Odds attached to his head, and apparently, the cat won't leave until Ethan wins a game of probability. With a soccer game imminent, Ethan tries everything to pull the cat off (cats do not like showers), but nothing works, until he agrees to pay Odds' game. Ethan tries many probability games: picking a penny from coins on a high shelf, (he picks a nickel), picking two matching socks without looking, (he loses), and picking two white marbles from a stack with his eyes closed (one was yellow). Finally, Ethan chooses two breakfast cereal shapes that are the same. Odds leaves and Ethan decides to apply the lesson to his soccer game. End papers give a history of two French mathematicians who developed the theory of mathematical probability in 1654. This is a very improbable story about a challenging math concept.

The Water Hole, written and illus. by Graham Base, (Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 2001),
32 p, Ages 4-7.
In this beautifully illustrated counting story and art book, animals from Africa to the Amazon to North America visit a dwindling water hole.

What Time Is It, Peter Rabbit?, inspired by Beatrix Potter, (Frederick Warne & Co., 2004),
18p, Ages 3+.
Kindergarteners will enjoy using the movable clock hands as well as learning to tell time with Bearix Potter's lovable characters.

What's In Space? written/illus. by Salina Yoon, Price Stern Sloan, 2006), 10p, Ages 3-5.
A fun board book with pull-slides that reveal bright colors of various planetary objects. From the hint, "This turns full just once a month./It's a gleaming ball of white./This night-light for the evening sky/makes a beautiful sight." Children pull the tab to reveal the moon. This informative book is a clever way to teach concepts and give information.

Who's Hiding?, written/illus. by Saturo Onishi, (Kane/Miller Books, 2007), 32p, Ages 2-6.
This clever concept book from Japan introduces eighteen animals that are lined up in rows on each double spread page and always in the same order. To the questions of "Who's hiding?", "Who's crying?", "Who's angry?", "Who has horns?", "Who's backwards?", "Who's sleeping?", and "Who's who?", children must choose the correct animal(s) to answer the question. One double spread shows several faces, and children must then find the answer to, "Who's hiding?" On another double page spread, only eighteen pairs of eyes are shown. The children must answer "Who's who?". The animals are easy to identify, but for young children and the zoologically challenged, an answer key is located in the back of the book.

Who's On Board? written/illus. by Salina Yoon, Price Stern Sloan, 2006), 10p, Ages 3-5.
A fun-shaped board book with pull-slides that entertain children with counting, color, and shape concepts. Questions are asked and children pull tabs to guess what animals are on the train. In rhyme a hint is given, "The first stop's in the jungle./Watch the monkeys swing./'Roarrr!' says the passenger./ 'Here I am, the king!'" Children pull the tab to reveal "1 lion." This informative book is a clever way to teach concepts and give information.