Kathleen Krull has written about many prominent figures, from Victoria Woodhull, the first woman to run for president; to Cesar Chávez; to Houdini. She has a reputation for integrating facts with interesting anecdotes, and packaging the whole story in a narrative that will keep children interested and curious to learn more.

Her latest book, The Brothers Kennedy, affirms this reputation. In it, Krull chronicles the lives of Joe, John, Robert and Edward Kennedy, starting when they were children in Boston, discussing current events at the dinner table and excelling in sports and at school. The boys developed a sense of fairness and public service at a young age, but they were also struck by tragedy. At 29, the oldest brother, Joe, died while serving in World War II.

As we all know, John and Robert died far too young, as well, and Edward was left to carry the family’s torch, serving in the Senate for 46 years until his death in 2009. Krull acknowledges these tragedies, but she does not dwell on them. Rather, she emphasizes the family’s remarkable accomplishments, such as President Kennedy’s putting a man on the moon, or Robert’s fight against poverty. Repeatedly, Krull evokes the qualities of hope, compassion and loyalty. She writes, “The brothers Kennedy inspired these in one another. And so they have inspired others ever since.”

Watercolor illustrations by Amy June Bates beautifully express the brothers’ lives. Some display happier times—campaigning for office; eating dinner as a family; jumping into Cape Cod. Other illustrations, such as Robert and Edward embracing after John’s death, capture the pain that the family knew.

Even young readers unfamiliar with the Kennedys will enjoy Krull’s telling of America’s most famous political family. With real quotes, a timeline and historical notes built into the book, they will gain an ample history lesson, in addition to hearing a good story. Perhaps most important of all, they will be inspired to serve others.

Like a lot of little girls, Amelia desperately wants a dog. But not just any dog—Amelia wants a small brown dog with a wet pink nose. Despite her constant pleading, her well-meaning mother and father insist that their family just isn’t ready for a dog. Then clever Amelia decides to change her line of questioning. She asks them, “If we did have a dog and he got lost, would we find him and bring him back?” Amelia’s parents assure their daughter that if they had a dog who got lost, they wouldn’t stop looking until they found him.

And so Amelia creates an imaginary small brown dog named Bones, who snuggles up next to her in bed, eats the green veggies she doesn’t like at dinner and takes walks with her after school. Colorful, multi-textured illustrations from Scottish artist Linzie Hunter perfectly complement the story, giving the reader various incarnations of the adorable dog of Amelia’s dreams. Then one day, Amelia wakes up to find that Bones is gone. In a panic, she asks her parents if they can go looking for Bones—after all, they did promise her that if they ever lost their dog, they would stop at nothing to find him. Amelia and her parents search the town, but they can’t find Bones anywhere. Finally, Amelia suggests that they try the local animal shelter and, wouldn’t you know it, at last Amelia finds her small brown dog with a wet pink nose. While they may not be ready for a dog, Amelia’s parents realize their daughter is, and they agree to take the pup home. Overjoyed, Amelia whispers in her new friend’s ear, “If anybody asks, your name is Bones.”

Popular children’s author Stephanie Stuve-Bodeen has created a whimsical and inventive story for the legions of children always asking their parents for a dog. Young readers will love this funny, easy-to-follow story and the mixed-media artwork that accompanies it; and parents—well, you will be glad Amelia had this idea before one of your children did.

Abby Plesser lives with her own small brown dog, Cooper, in Nashville.

If you knew in your heart you were destined to fly, wouldn’t you want to give it a try? In the lovely and thoughtful new picture book Only a Witch Can Fly by Alison McGhee, the Halloween moon beckons to a young girl who longs to fly. Dressed as a witch, she gazes out her bedroom window until the time is just right, and with broomstick in hand, she slips out the door. After one failed takeoff and a subsequent tumble into the pumpkin patch, her little brother provides just enough encouragement to get her back on the broom. With an expression of great resolve and a dramatic count, she finally slips into the sky, black cat in tow. “The moon trails fire through a reservoir, and you are earthbound no more. Who could have known it was such a big sky? Bat and Owl wave bye, bye and Cat calls a velvet song to the moon. And you? You have flown . . . you have flown!” Her confidence soars as she glides higher, “For only a witch can fly past the moon.” The linoleum block illustrations of Taeeun Yoo are simply stunning, giving the book a pastoral, folksy quality. When the girl returns to Earth, her parents are waiting with open arms, clearly proud of her accomplishment. It’s an enchanting book that makes a compelling point about the perseverance needed to follow your dreams. It’s not hard to imagine such a potent message resonating with young readers this Halloween.

Books are one of the best ways to introduce very young children to Halloween customs. Mouse's First Halloween by Lauren Thompson is a gentle and beautifully illustrated portrait of the happier side of the holiday's sometimes frightening aspects Illustrator Buket Erdogan's use of nighttime shades of indigo, deep reds, and autumnal umber on textured canvas are masterful, fit to be hung on your child's bedroom walls.

For those who have ever had difficulty coming up with creatively creepy costumes, party ideas, and miscellaneous decorations for Halloween events, Jane Bull's The Halloween Book: 50 Creepy Crafts for a Hair-raising Halloween will surely open the door to a mausoleum full of ideas guaranteed to turn a few heads (and maybe a stomach or two). There are tons of practical and very innovative ideas, basic pumpkin carving to making scary window silhouettes, lamp shades, and simple but scary costumes without having to lose an arm and a leg buying all the supplies. The latter section is the real winner, providing some wild food, drink and game ideas to make your Halloween party a definite scream. The Halloween Book is as valuable at Halloween as Martha Stewart at a summer wedding.

Observe the trials and tribulations of your average small child: brush your teeth, do your homework, clean up your room, etc. Now transform him or her into a ghost, not the frightening transparent anomaly kind of ghost, but the good old fashioned bed sheet variety, and there you have the premise of author Ana Martin Larra–aga's Woo! The Not-So-Scary Ghost. Woo, not yet even ghost in training, decides it's time he should stop listening and start scaring, so just before the sun rises (for ghosts, that's the equivalent of dusk) Woo packs a little bag on a stick, hobo-style, and floats out of his bedroom window to begin his not too scary odyssey. Soon Woo finds himself trapped in full daylight, being treated as less than a scary ghost and more like a bed sheet by everyone he meets. In the end Woo proves the scared can be scary, especially when longing for the safety of family and home. The story of Woo is presented in cuddly primary-colored pages with endearing caricatures throughout to charm the little runaway ghost in everyone.

From beyond the grave comes a new macabre twist on the classic fairy tale of Cinderella. This love story, Cinderella Skeleton is the latest work from author Robert D. San Souci whose previous works include one of many multicultural interpretations of the original Cinderella tale called Sootface: An Ojibwa Cinderella Story. San Souci's latest version of the classic children's tale features a deceased and downtrodden girl, Cinderella Skeleton, living miserably with her evil stepsisters, Bony Jane and Gristlene, and their insufferable mother, Screech, in a well appointed mausoleum located in Boneyard Acres. The elements of the classic story are included with all the appropriate graveyard treatments: Prince Charnel invites all but Cinderella to his Halloween Ball; a spell by a good witch transforms her into an exquisitely adorned corpse. When dawn breaks, Cinderella Skeleton flees leaving behind only a slipper, plus a large part of her lower left leg. The rest of the story won't surprise you. Most impressive about Cinderella Skeleton are the brilliantly colored and detailed illustrations by syndicated political cartoonist David Catrow, which bring to "life" the skeletal world in which the story takes place.

Some of the scariest incidents on Halloween can frighten the living daylights out of you. It's all in fun, of course, and so too is the latest in incredibly creative pop-up paper engineering books by Corina Fletcher called Ghoul School. What better medium to express the whimsically ghoulish story of Ms. Vampira's Ghoul School, "where timid souls are transformed into spooky ghosts and goblins in the twinkling of a bat's eye" than with three dimensional interactive pages that beckon young readers to touch, participate in, and read all at the same time. Every page of Ghoul School is a masterfully designed system of moveable pieces and feature remarkable detail in the illustrations and in the foldouts, some of which rise to over eight inches off the page. As with any pop-up book, it will be hard to keep the little ghouls from pulling the pages apart, especially when they offer so many hidden surprises!

Stories, stories, stories — that's what life's all about. September brings a whole new crop of storytelling books on everything from Jack Sprat to Jesus, for a range of ages.

Topping the list is a book making its U.S. debut after having been reprinted in England more than 40 times. How the Whale Became and Other Stories comes from the pen of the renowned, late poet Ted Hughes. He wrote these when he and his wife, poet Sylvia Plath, were living in Spain, but they weren't published until several years later, in 1963, after the births of the couple's two children. These are longer stories for older readers–11 lyrical tales about how such creatures as bees, tortoises, elephants, and hyenas came to be. In a prefatory note Hughes explains his premise for writing the collection: that in the beginning of the world, all living things were much alike and "had no idea what they were going to become." He goes on to explain how his selected menagerie arose. Jackie Morris's watercolors are a superb accompaniment, muted yet full of mystery and energy.

No storyteller is more famous than Aesop, the slave who lived in ancient Greece about 2,600 years ago. The Lion & the Mouse and Other Aesop Fablesprovides an excellent introduction for older preschoolers and young elementary students. Doris Orgel's short, two-page retellings are sprinkled with interesting facts about Aesop and his world. Orgel begins with a FAQ-like question-and-answer page that explains who Aesop was and why his fables have remained so popular all these years. Bert Kitchen's watercolor and gouache illustrations are stately, so real that one can practically feel the bristles of a wolf's fur or the hard shell of the slow-moving tortoise.

For a completely different change of pace, storyteller Alice McGill has been collecting slave lullabies since she was a child, hearing them passed down through generations of her family and friends. A CD is included with In the Hollow of Your Hand: Slave Lullabies, so you can read and hear McGill's resonant singing voice accompanied by gentle, simple instrumentals. Since slaves were often not allowed to learn to read or write and were punished for singing "unapproved" songs, these lullabies tended to be messages of trials, tribulation, and hope, often sung in secret. Along with each lullaby, McGill includes a brief, intriguing description of its origins and use. Michael Cummings has created a quilt collage illustration for each lullaby, adding rich, textured folk images that convey both story and history. This wonderful book and CD combination is truly a treasure for all ages.

More history and spiritualism can be found in Mary Hoffman's Parables: Stories Jesus Told(illustrated by Jackie Morris). Hoffman discusses Jesus's storytelling talents in a lovely introductory note: "[Jesus] was good at making up stories which were full of things that people of his time could understand. Sheep, grapevines, sowing seeds these were all familiar to the first people who heard these stories. I am quite sure that if Jesus were preaching today, he would have told stories about cars and mobile phones and computer games." Regardless of youngsters' religious beliefs, they will enjoy and learn from the short retellings of such familiar parables as "The Good Samaritan" and "The Prodigal Son." With each, Hoffman includes a short introduction and conclusion to help children better understand the parable's underlying meaning. At the end of the book is a list of the actual biblical books and chapters where each story originates.

The very youngest readers will enjoy the familiar verses found in Mother Goose Remembers. What's delightful about this book are Clare Beaton's wonderful, old-fashioned fabric art illustrations, which include one of Mother Goose's "feathers" stitched onto every page. This book is practically like having a grandmother or fairy godmother stitch a special volume of nursery rhymes for little readers.

In the same vein, check out The Random House Book of Nursery Stories, retold and illustrated by Helen Craig. Somehow, with the many children's books available today, modern youngsters often miss out on learning some of the classic fairy tales. Here's a collection of hits, including "Little Red Riding Hood," "The Three Little Pigs," "Goldilocks and the Three Bears," and "The Three Billy Goats Gruff." The retellings are short and straightforward, following the well-known plot lines. As with the Clare Beaton book, what makes this book fun are the whimsical illustrations. The troll, for example, that bedevils the three billy goats is a huge red lump of fur, a sort of Cousin It with protruding arms and legs. Don't miss the elves in "The Elves and the Shoemaker," which are cute little naked fellows streaking across the page. So whether you're in the mood for mirth, morals, or mammals, there's a new storytelling book awaiting your every mood!

Alice Cary spins her yarns in Groton, Massachusetts.

The first National Poetry Month in the new century has wrought books with great things: an eclectic mix of words, forms, and perhaps most importantly, subject matters. From collections directed at small children to anthologies for teenagers, publishers have begun to focus on young readers of poetry as a very real segment of the book-buying population.

A veritable feast of poetry, The 20th Century Children's Poetry Treasury sets the stage for children's poetry collections to come. Not an overly thick book (some 87 pages and 211 poems), the content is diverse, well selected, and most importantly, fun. Jack Prelutsky has done a wonderfully subtle job of editing. While there are no thematic divisions, the poems build upon one another amazingly well. Connections inferred by such clusters are inevitable and get to the root of what poetry is about. In this way, Meilo So's illustrations also work nicely. Each page is illustrated appropriately, humorously, and comprehensively; for example, a single illustration might point to five or six corresponding poems.

Similarly diverse is The Songs of Birds: Stories and Poems from Many Cultures. Indeed, this culturally rich book includes representations of Celtic and Yoruba poems, Inuit and Afghan stories, and every culture in between (well . . . just about). And while The Songs of Birds boasts more stories than it does poetry, Steve Palin's lovely illustrations make up for that difference. Beautiful birds make this a collection superbly suited to parents of children interested in our aviary companions. I actually wanted to buy some seed, a pair of binoculars, and proceed to the nearest wood. In place of that, however, the book does just fine.

It's About Dogs, written by Tony Johnson and illustrated by Ted Rand, is a homage to our canine friends and a pleasure to read. The poems range in focus and all kinds of behavior are represented: some dogs hunt, some sleep, some howl, most are just cute and have interesting stories. Included are several poems that are quite serious the death of a beloved family pet, for example and may help parents explain sensitive issues.

Poetry was once an oral art form. Another exciting addition to this year's children's poetry lineup is Big Talk: Poems for Four Voices by Paul Fleischman and illustrated by Beppe Giacobbe. Written to be read aloud by four children (yet two can also enjoy it), this book is a testament to what poetry once was and can be. The instructions on the book read: "Find three friends and get ready to boogie. . . ." Each line is color coded, and once colors are assigned, children will find themselves creating a symphony of poetry. Three distinct poems compose the book, and while there may be some hesitation and stumbling at first, children will find that poems read aloud and in unison take on a different meanings. Quite a bit of modern poetry doesn't take its history into consideration, yet Fleischman has succeeded in creating a book that is fun for children of all ages.

Ken Nordine of NPR fame and Henrik Drescher have created a wildly unique children's book: Colors. Truth be told, I'm uncertain about how to classify this book. Is it poetry? Is it prose? Is it, as the book jacket describes, word jazz? In fact, the closest approximation may be it's a bit of all of three. Each page is dedicated to a specific hue and thus, an idea. Along with primary colors are those in-between colors like olive. Others, including turquoise, magenta, and chartreuse, have earned their own pages. Nothing about this book is normal. . . I mean, mundane. The text is big, then it is small; it runs horizontally and then suddenly, vertically; some letters are big while others are small, often within the same sentence. The illustrations are a mix of collage, computer illustration, photos, graph paper, good old-fashioned drawing it's all hodgepodged together, creating great visual interest. Young children will enjoy the colors and sounds, older children will luxuriate in the content and details.

As we enter the new millennium, great strides toward diversity are everywhere: television, movies, and the like. Children's books are no different, and Someone I Like compiled by Judith Nicholls struck me as a truly diverse volume. From the Giovanni Manna's handsome illustrations to poems by Margaret Walker, Fred Sedgwick, and Eloise Greenfield, Someone I Like fulfills its goal, creating a children's book that crosses barriers and offers poetry that takes on real issues. While topics like the imperfections of our parents and the difficulties of having to adjust to new siblings are included, one of the more pleasant aspects of this book is that the poems are not cute and do not talk down to children. Each poem invites children to participate in a very substantial way. Instead of spelling everything out, the child has the opportunity to consider his own life in conjunction with the poem. At the same time, however, the poems are not too advanced for early readers. This book makes a wise assumption: children are intelligent and will take from each poem what they can. Some children will delight in the sounds of the poems, some in the content, and others will find joy in both.

Finally, older children can enjoy poetry as much as younger ones, especially if written by their peers. Movin': Teen Poets Take Voice, edited by Dave Johnson is a short anthology of poetry written by teenagers who attended one of several poetry workshops sponsored by Poets House and The New York Public Library. In his forward, Johnson writes that he hopes . . . Movin' will inspire young writers and the communities in which they live to launch their own poetry workshops and readings and make their own publication happen. In fact, the voices in Movin' are similar to the voices of poets all over the country. Dealing with teen-specific issues, their voices rise in chorus, attacking loneliness, emotional and physical alienation, and fear. Readers will be struck with how these young people grapple to reconcile the often irreconcilable realities of adolescence. A testament to Johnson's editing is the fact that these poems are largely internal narratives, pushing and pulling the reader through a terrain that is not so distant.

Children who read poetry regularly feel more comfortable with language, and a child who is comfortable with language develops stronger reading and thinking skills. Kudos to the publishers for offering entertaining collections that children of all ages will enjoy!

Crystal Williams's first book of poetry, Kin (Michigan State University Press) debuts next month.

In a country where children play with toy guns—and some appear to be doing more than playing—the proper role of weapons has become a subject that parents cannot afford to ignore. Whether or not there are guns of any type in the home, children will be exposed to weapons in play groups, on television, at sporting events. The question then becomes how to instruct your child about guns. Do you elaborate on a news report about a shooting? Do you take them to a store that sells guns? Do you read a fictional story about people feeling the emotional loss after a loved one was shot? About a teen gang shooting? The answers to these questions depend on the age and interests of your child as well as your own convictions, but our present culture strongly suggests that all parents must do something to protect their children.

You may find some help at your local bookstore or library since authors of children's books have begun to address this scary topic. One recent title worth a look is Guns: What You Should Know, designed for young elementary school-age children. In straightforward and child-appropriate terms, Rachel Ellenberg Schulson describes different kinds of guns, the mechanism of shooting a pistol, and the speed and distance a bullet can fly. She then turns to the element of danger in shooting, noting that "Each year in the United States, about 200 children are killed from accidents with guns." And she goes on to describe the pain and injury of being shot.

Schulson also touches on the disagreement about gun control but concludes that "all grown-ups agree on one thing: Children should never play with guns!" The last page may be the most important with three simple rules telling children what to do if they ever find a gun. After all, as the final sentence says, "People make mistakes."

Mary Jones's somewhat stylized illustrations have simple lines and bold colors, while the text is highlighted by different colored type on each page. Both the illustrations and text make for a book that is timely and informative.

Cynthia Rylant moves about the world of children's books at a rapid pace. Born in 1954, she has already written more than 60 books for children and young teens. You may know her as the author of her first book, When I Was Young in the Mountains, a Caldecott Honor Book published in 1982. She continued to call on her memories of childhood in West Virginia with more picture books, including another Caldecott Honor book, The Relatives Came. Rylant also writes poetry and easy readers remember the Henry and Mudge books and later Poppleton and Mr. Putter and Tabby? More recently, she has even begun illustrating her picture books with the strong, primitive pictures in Cat Heaven, Dog Heaven, and The Whales.

Her strong storytelling skills appeal to middle-graders and young teens in the novels she writes. Though they appear less frequently, they are memorable when they do. In 1986, A Fine White Dust was named a Newbery Honor Book, and in 1992 her Missing May was the Newbery Award winner.

In the newly released novel The Islander, she writes about the area where she now lives the Pacific Northwest. (Incidentally, Rylant painted the picture of the pelican on the cover.) The story is a sort of memoir told by Daniel Jennings, a young man looking back on his 20th birthday. Daniel, a boy of eight, lives alone with his grandfather on a sparsely populated island off the coast of British Columbia. A shy child, he nonetheless yearns for a larger world. The appearance of a mermaid's comb on the beach intrigues him, and he waits into the night, hoping to see the mermaid. When she appears, the comb vibrates and slips through the air until she catches it. Then she speaks Daniel's name before disappearing back into the sea. Soon after, an otter brings him a shell which he pries open to discover a small, very old key, and he knows the mermaid has sent it. From that moment on, he wears the key around his neck.

The remaining story turns on the key. Its vibrations at critical points lead Daniel to find wounded pelicans after a terrible storm hits the island and, the following winter, to rescue a little girl who had disappeared.  Time passes until Daniel is 17. After his grandfather's sudden death, he discovers an old photograph of a young woman in his Bible. Written on the back was her name and the dates of her birth and death. She had only lived to be 17, and Daniel determines to unravel the mystery. What follows gives The Islander more excitement and the ring of authenticity. Daniel emerges at the end of the story with gifts from the sea that make him a wise and contented young man, one who has found the companionship he needed. Rylant's haunting story with its mix of reality and fable is one that stays with readers, whether they are middle-graders, young teens, or adults. Rylant's own young life in West Virginia may have been the source of inspiration for Daniel. She describes that stage of her life as being "graced with silence in those mountains, and the smell of flowers and pines, and space." That kind of childhood seems very near to Daniel's spent walking the beach and caring for animals. It has the sort of quiet solitude with nature that enriches a young person and may stimulate imagination later in life. It certainly did for Cynthia Rylant.

Sweet and spicy gingersnaps make the world a better place. Or at least, they’re a starting point in Mara Rockliff’s second picture book, The Busiest Street in Town. Agatha May Walker wants to bring some cookies to her neighbor Eulalie, but when she starts to cross the street, the speeding traffic on Rushmore Boulevard won’t stop for her: cars and trucks just keep on roaring, zipping and rumbling past (the frequent use of onomatopoeia makes this a fun read-aloud).

Undaunted, Agatha carries out her yellow wingback chair and becomes a human roadblock, forcing traffic to slow down around her and offering gingersnaps to the passing drivers. Soon Eulalie joins her, bearing a piano stool, a card table and a Parcheesi set. Eventually, traffic slows, and other neighbors venture into the street for gingersnaps and a turn at the Parcheesi set. Flowers get planted along the street, and children play hopscotch. Traffic was slower, but “no one minded,” Rockliff writes. “If you drove too fast, you couldn’t smell the honeysuckle. You wouldn’t hear the music of the mariachi band. Worst of all, you’d miss the chance to sample one of Agatha May Walker’s sweet and spicy gingersnaps.”

Sarah McMenemy’s mixed-media illustrations are beautiful and evoke midcentury modern: men and women wear hats and long coats; children are dressed in pinafores. Though they’re completely charming, in some ways this choice makes the message of The Busiest Street in Town seem less directed to our contemporary lifestyles—when in truth we could all use encouragement to slow down. Still, this detail is not likely to register with young readers, who will be drawn into a fun, absorbing story that proves faster isn’t always better.

If you are in the market for a Christmas book this season, you will not be disappointed. The offerings are varied and rich the tough part will be deciding which ones to buy! Grandfather's Christmas Tree (ages 4-8) has everything a good holiday book should have: gorgeous illustrations (by Thomas Locker, one of my favorite children's artists); a heartfelt story (by Keith Strand, writing about his grandfather's birth); and a bit of a miracle. As we say good-bye to the 1900s, it's fun to read this Little House on the Prairie-like tale of husband and wife settlers in 1886 Colorado, all alone in the shadow of the Rocky Mountains, watching the snow pile up around them, and wondering how they will keep their infant boy warm. The only available firewood is a stand of spruce trees outside their cabin door that provide shelter for a family of geese. The couple can't bear to destroy the birds' home. Not surprisingly, the ending will warm readers' hearts in festive fashion.

On a much lighter note, the classic Eloise at Christmastime by Kay Thompson is back in print after nearly 40 years, one of a handful of volumes about this spunky heroine who lives in the tippy top floor of New York City's Plaza Hotel. Hilary Knight's whimsical drawings are pure delight, and the text positively sparkles ( You can hear Nanny say/ÔOh trinkles/my dear/Oh drinkles and skinkles of fun/It's Christmas/ Christmas/Christmas Eve/Oh my/there's a lot to be done' ).

Meet a family living in more spartan quarters than the Plaza Hotel in Not Enough Beds: A Christmas Alphabet Book by Lisa Bullard, illustrated by Joni Oeltjenbruns, (ages 5-8). Here's a dilemma many families face when relatives arrive: where do you put them all? Children will laugh at the imaginative solutions, as Aunt Alison snores in an overstuffed chair, while my young brother Ben stretches out on a stair. Smart Cousin Constantine brought his own cot, and so on. Watch, too, the amusing antics of a mouse family prancing about on each page.

For a unique twist on the holiday theme, try Pigs on the Move: Fun with Math and Travel by Amy Axelrod, illustrated by Sharon McGinley-Nally (ages 4-9), one in a series of books devoted to a pig family and their explorations of various math themes. When Mr. and Mrs. Pig and their two piglets miss their plane from Texas to Boston, they are forced to take a series of flights that take them through several time zones, thus allowing readers to consider how both mileage and time add up. The story alone is enjoyable enough, however, should you choose to leave math discussions until the end. There's also a nifty map of the United States showing time zones and funky nicknames of assorted cities, such as Porkopolis, Ohio.

'Twouldn't be Christmas without some new version of Clement C. Moore's The Night Before Christmas, and this year illustrator Max Grover offers a bright and cheery edition. His childlike acrylic style brings fun and surprises, including Santa landing in the fireplace amidst a cloud of soot and two charts of Santa, with Little Round Belly and Nose Like a Cherry appropriately labeled. Grover's interpretation is a particularly good choice for youngsters hearing the famous poem for the first time.

The young will also be thrilled by another of David A. Carter's pop-up bug extravaganzas, The 12 Bugs of Christmas. His variation of the traditional carol features, of course, Carter's signature crazy critters, including the likes of a fruitcake bug, snowflake bugs, lovely glowing bugs, and tinsel bugs, all wrapped up in flap packages waiting to be flipped.

Travel to San Juan, New Mexico, for Farolitos for Abuelo by Rudolfo Anaya, illustrated by Edward Gonzales (ages 5-9), the story of Luz, whose beloved abuelo (grandfather) dies in a river accident as he saves the life of a careless boy. While learning to deal with her loss, Luz puts farolitos (candlelit lanterns) around his grave at Christmas in this sad but uplifting tale.

More farolitos are featured in Tomie de Paola's wonderful The Night of Las Posadas (ages 4-8), about an annual procession honoring Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus in Santa Fe, New Mexico. When the couple playing Mary and Jesus gets caught in a snowstorm and misses the ceremony, a pair of mysterious replacements show up in what the village elder, Sister Angie, immediately recognizes as a miracle of the manger. This is a simple yet powerful story, accented by dePaola's always luminous art.

The Legend of the Christmas Rose by William H. Hooks, illustrated by Richard A. Williams, is a nativity story featuring nine-year-old Dorothy, who tags along with her older shepherd brothers on their journey to Bethlehem. She has nothing to give the newborn babe until an angel appears and bestows tiny white flowers (Helleborus niger), blossoms known for their beauty as well as curative powers.

Don't forget the youngest on your holiday lists, who will enjoy board books such as:

The First Christmas: A Christmas Bible Playbook (Reader's Digest Children's Books, $4.99, 1575843285).

My First Christmas Board Book (DK Publishing, $6.95, 0789447355), filled with eye-catching photographs of everything from Christmas trees, toys, and snowmen to nativity scenes.

Christmas Lights (Little Simon, $4.99, 0689822693), a glow-in-the-dark board book with collage illustrations of holiday scenes.

Last but not least, for a selection you can really sink your teeth into, try New Baby's Nativity (Standard Publishing/ Reader's Digest Children's Books, $10.99, 1575843293), a cloth book with an attached cloth angel that can be moved from page to page.

Ho, Ho, Ho, and Peace on Earth!

With Mother's Day just around the corner, there's no sweeter gift than a child's pure and adoring love. That most wondrous of loves is the subject of Margaret Park Bridges's delightful new book, If I Were Your Mother.

In this enchanting story, a little girl offers her own imaginative version of what she might do if their roles were reversed and she was her mother's mother. In her fanciful world, the little girl, as the pretend mother, would serve breakfast in bed on a silver tray, and take her little girl to work to dance on her desk, and spin her around until she was all dizzy.

The real mommy just smiles and agrees as the little girl imagines curling her little girl's hair, making up her face, and painting her fingernails just so she could look silly. Taking a bath with a school of goldfish and having a nap in grandma's soft furry coat (with her legs in the sleeves) are highlights of the day the little girl has planned.

But the little girl soon begins to see that the most precious things in life a simple kiss on the forehead, an ear to whisper in, a warm, secure place in her mommy's lap are always ready and waiting just when she needs them most.

Parents and children alike will adore the wistful, fanciful imaginings of the little girl, and the marvelous wisdom of the mother. Margaret Park Bridges manages to touch the very pulse of motherly love in If I Were Your Mother, and the delightful illustrations by Kady MacDonald Denton, one of Canada's foremost illustrators, are warm and loving. As much an example for parents as an entertaining tale for children, If I Were Your Mother is a thoroughly enchanting lesson in pure love and would make a charming Mother's Day present for mommies everywhere.

Sharon Galligar Chance is a book reviewer for the Times Record News in Wichita Falls, Texas.