Uh-Oh!
illustrated by Valeria Petrone
Little Simon, 2002
ages 4 to 8, ISBN 978-0-689-84711-0

I've got a balloon,
so round and red.
I'll toss it
up till it's
over my...

You might expect to find the word "head," but instead you lift the flap to find "Uh-oh!" The balloon has burst for this little girl who finds she's just a tad clumsy. A fun and surprising lift-the-flap book.

Love Song for a Baby
illustrated by Dan Andreasen
Simon & Schuster, 2002
ages 4 to 8, ISBN 978-0-689-82268-1

Come hear a song about a baby,
a very special baby.
Come hear a song about you.

This affectionate tribute to the all-encompassing love of a child will touch parents' and grandparents' hearts at the same time that it satisfies children's requests to tell them about when they were little. Best-selling author Marion Dane Bauer's lyrical text and award-winning illustrator Dan Andreasen's timeless paintings combine to create a gift of love—for parent and child alike.

And oh,
how we love you!

The Kissing Monster: A Lift-the-Flap Story
illustrated by Kathi Couri
Little Simon, 2002
ages 4 to 8, ISBN 978-0-689-84899-5

There's a kissing monster in your house
that's going to get you, I think.
It could be hiding inside the cupboard.
It might be below the sink...

Beware of the kissing monster! If it finds you, you will be showered with kisses and hugs! Lift the flaps to see where it is lurking, and watch out for a very special pop-up surprise!

Frog's Best Friend
illustrated by Diane Dawson Hearn
Holiday House, 2002
ages 4 to 8, ISBN 978-0-8234-1501-4

Frog wakes up to spring, looking forward to seeing his best friend Turtle. Turtle is happy to see Frog, too. But when Frog wants Turtle to be best friends to the exclusion of Squirrel, Bird, and Otter, Turtle is unhappy. He wants everyone to be friends. Frog finally comes to that realization, too, when he is grabbed by Baby Bear and needs help to be rescued. Children will recognize the familiar tug of wanting lots of friends versus one special buddy. ... The sentences are short, and the words easy, but the text is meaty enough to involve children who have a little bit of reading under their belts. —Booklist

If You Had a Nose Like an Elephant's Trunk
illustrated by Susan Winter
Holiday House, 2001
ages 4 to 8, ISBN 978-0-8234-1589-2

In this delightful, intriguing title, a young girl explores the possibilities of the animal world by imagining what it would be like to take on various species' attributes. With a monkey's tail, she could swing from a chandelier; with a flea's legs, she could jump over the house. She'd never need a lunch box if she had chipmunk cheeks; with a fly's legs, she could nap on the ceiling, and so on. In the end, however, she appreciates her own features and abilities—a nose that allows her to smell the rain; legs for leaping, running, and crouching; a tongue that enjoys the taste of ice cream. Lovely, clear, colored-pencil illustrations add a touch of whimsy. —Booklist

My Mother is Mine
illustrated by Peter Elwell
Simon & Schuster, 2001
ages 4 to 8, ISBN 978-0-689-82267-4

My mother is special.
My mother is fine.

All sorts of cuddly baby animals sing their mothers' praises, inspiring a child to create a greeting card that shows why her mother is special too. That card is attached to the back of this book, which is a loving tribute to mothers throughout the year.

My mother, my mother,
my mother is mine!

Grandmother's Song
illustrated by Pamela Rossi
Simon & Schuster, 2000
ages 4 to 8, ISBN 978-0-689-82272-8

A new baby is a special gift. In this glorious, warm, and lyrical tribute to life and its cycles, the birth of a baby, her growth, and the birth of her baby are celebrated in a way that will touch all hearts.

Rain and moon, kittens and fish,
snow and grass, elphants
and honey,
I give them to you.
I give them all
to your mother
and you.

Jason's Bears
illustrated by Kevin Hawkes
Hyperion Press, 2000
ages 4 to 8, ISBN 978-0-7868-0356-9

"A child finds courage in a cookie and exacts sweet revenge on a pesky big brother, in this triumphant tale. Jason dotes on "the big of bears, the brave of bears, the nobody-better-mess-with-me of bears"—until brother Kurt tells him about the toe-nibbling bear in the back yard, the one in the basement that likes noses, and the big one right under his bed. However, Kurt's effort to cap the head game with a fierce looking gingerbread bear (recipe included, happily) backfires. Jason's fear disappears with the cookie, and as he chomps, off he stomps to roust out the lurking beasts. ... Children, especially those with overactive imaginations, will be cheered by Jason's re-found boldness, and will understand perfectly well from whence it really springs. —Kirkus Reviews

An Early Winter
Clarion, 1999
ages 9 to 12, ISBN 978-0-395-90372-8

Tim is distressed to learn that his mom, new stepfather, and grandmother are sure Granddad has Alzheimer's disease. Refusing to accept the possibility that they may be right, Tim persuades Granddad to run away with him on a fishing trip, convinced this will prove that Granddad is still capable of taking care of himself. But on the way to the lake, Granddad keeps forgetting things: their equipment, the soft drinks, even how to make change at the roadside store. When Granddad can't get them out of a dangerous situation on the water but instead makes the problem worse, Tim finally realizes his grandfather has changed . . . but his awareness may have come too late. Well-developed characters and page-turning suspense ensure that this riveting yet poignant novel will hold readers captive.

Sleep, Little One, Sleep
illustrated by JoEllen McAllister Stammen
Simon & Schuster, 1999
ages 2 to 6, ISBN 978-0-689-82250-6

As the sun sets, a father puts his child to bed. Weaving images of mice, of birds, and of polar bears, he tells her that sleep nibbles the last crumb of day; sleep gathers her beneath its feathery wings; and that sleep holds her tight in the furry dark. And as the images of sleep grow larger and larger, the father hopes that sleep will come to his child very soon.

In this glorious companion to If You Were Born a Kitten, Marion Dane Bauer and JoEllen McAllister Stammen have created a classic lullaby, as warm and loving as any child and parent at bedtime.