Take a ride through the English countryside on this brightly-colored locomotive creation from William Bee. Young children easily catch on to the repetitive train noises, and will be rewarded with a silly surprise at the end of the book, when the train finally reaches the station! Great fun!

Recommended by Katie

As the population moves toward an increasingly digital age, we may lose sight of many surroundings and happenings that are taken for granted. In simple, repetitive verse, and with all the innocence of the young, Margaret Wise Brown reminds us of what is important about these things. (A great inspiration for an early elementary writing assignment too!)

Recommended by Katie

Do you see the two holes in the ground? Do you see the two soldiers in these holes? Do you see the manuals they've been given about the Enemy? What happens when one soldier discovers that he is also the Enemy? They both just want food and water and warm clothes and their families and, more than anything, an end to the war. The soldiers have been told that there is only one way to end the war, but is that the truth?

Recommended by Katie

Intricate and striking illustrations by Maurice Sendak complement this once lost Grimm's tale of a war ravaged land, and a girl whose mother sends her into the forest for protection. Despite the terrors in the woods and her own helplessness, Mili finds comfort in her guardian angel and shelter with a kindly old man. A deeply moving story of the effects of war on children, but also the divine powers of love. It's no wonder this story has lasted these many centuries.

Recommended by Katie

This is probably the greatest story to yet be told in pictures alone. Any child, young or old, who has ever spent a day at the lake or seashore, will recall every thrill and exaltation, here so perfectly rendered in Suzy Lee's jubilant watercolors. Wave is a picture book to be treasured for its humor, its innocence and its simple timelessness.

Recommended by Katie

Rodents have never before been as utterly lovable as in Peggy Rathmann's nearly non-verbal countdown to bedtime. But no worries, for her brightly-colored and imaginative illustrations offer an adventurous storyline no child can refuse. So grab your toothbrush and pajamas, and hop on the bus to the 10-Minute-Bedtime tour!

Recommended by Katie

El mejor libro de lee-en-volz-alta en enos, mi amigo. ?Es un perro? un gato? !No! !Es el figher mas grande de espada en el mundo, El Skippito, cha cha!

The best read-aloud book in years, my friend. Is it a dog? a cat? No! It's the greatest sword fighter in the world, El Skippito, cha cha!

Recommended by Katie

From the endlessly fantastical mind of the dear Dr. Seuss comes a fable for children of all ages. Through Seuss' signature rhyming style, and with a host of new furry creatures, we learn of the terrible effects of greed, when the Onceler refuses to stop cutting down trees. The Lorax, who speaks for these trees, teaches an important lesson in conservation that has proven to be a favorite for many generations.

Recommended by Katie

Parents and teachers take note: This is an essential book to share with your children and students. Shetterly's collection will inspire, provoke and firmly establish the importance of freedom of speech as it introduces fifty remarkable Americans who have spoken out for what they believe. It is an unrivaled work of patriotism, art and history.

Recommended by Katie

One of my favorite bedtime stories growing up - both a classic story of the importance of family, with the perfect dash of fairy tale spookiness. I can vividly recall how Don Wood's unrivaled illustrations surprised me with hidden details every time I opened this book. I remember too Audrey Wood's tale of seven siblings who are in danger of becoming the witch's dinner unless their mother can prove how well she really knows her children. They don't make picture books like this anymore...

Recommended by Katie

The year 2007 marked the 65th anniversary of a bold experiment: the launch of the Little Golden Books during the dark days of World War II. At a time when the literacy rate was not nearly as high as it is now - and privation was felt by nearly all - quality books for children would now be available at a price nearly everyone could afford (25 cents), and sold where ordinary people shopped. Golden Legacy is a lively history of a company, a line of books, the groundbreaking writers and artists who created them, the clever mavericks who marketed and sold them, and the cultural landscape that surrounded them.

Recommended by Susan

This is a rollicking rhymed story of Molly the librarian who accidentally drives her bookmobile to the zoo and introduces the birds and beasts to a new something called reading. Tall books for giraffes, small books for crickets, joke books for hyenas, even waterproof books for the otters. Wild About Books is a laugh-out-loud winner of the E.B. White Read Aloud Award for 2005.

Recommended by Susan