Be a holiday hero by taking time to match just the right book with a youngster or family on your Christmas list.
For example, the kid always asking "Why this?" and "Why that?" totally needs "Why?: Over 1,111 Answers to Everything" by Crispin Boyer (from National Geographic). A steal at $19.99, this oversize volume with stunning color photographs provides countless hours of knowledge to curious types 8 and older.
With one eye on gift giving, we’ve surveyed the new crop of kids’ books. Here’s a select lineup of top-notch choices — for just the right lap listener or early reader.
“The Small World of Paper Toys” by Gérard Lo Monaco
With the “up” flip of each page, this beautifully crafted small pop-up reveals a specific nostalgic toy: a mechanical boat, a sweet elephant on wheels, etc. On one page, two serious lumberjacks saw wood: “Forwards and backwards, we push and we pull!”
The spare text makes this ideal for bedtime. "I'll clean up my room tomorrow," says the child on the last page. "Good night, my toys." (Ages 3 and up, Little Gestalten, $24.95)
“Big Bear Little Chair” by Lizi Boyd
From a master book artist, here's a dandy way to help a preschooler learn about opposites and comparisons. Boyd's vibrant opaque watercolor scenes in red, black and gray introduce a big bird holding a little umbrella, a little tent in a big forest, a little turtle reading a tiny book beneath a very big ladder — and so on. Tall and narrow, the cleverly stylized pages are loaded with charm and personality. (Ages 3-5, Chronicle Books, $16.99)
“Finding Winnie: The True Story of the World’s Most Famous Bear” by Lindsay Mattick, illustrated by Sophie Blackall
With pride and tenderness, Mattick recounts how Henry Colebourn, her own great-great-grandfather, in 1914 purchased an orphaned cub from a trapper, named it Winnie (for his Winnipeg home), then took it across the Atlantic. The playful bear was a mascot to Colebourn’s regiment, but had to go to the London Zoo when the soldiers shipped out to France.
A.A. Milne and son (really named) Christopher Robin made frequent zoo trips to visit the unusually special Winnie. Milne's beloved Pooh stories came next. Blackall's detailed illustrations are laced with historic tidbits. (Ages 3-6, Little, Brown, $18)
“Merry Christmas, Squirrels!” by Nancy Rose
Sniffing around for something zany and unexpected? This one’s nuts!
Using dollhouse furniture and other tiny things, wildlife photographer Rose fashioned festive little scenes outside her snowy home in Nova Scotia. But how did she get the squirrels — who have no clue they are playing "Mr. Peanuts" — to look like they are doing such things as slurping a latte or pushing a snowplow? Ross figured out where to tuck peanuts in her scenes and props so that her "models" would strike the desired poses. The chuckles keep coming. (Ages 3-6, Little, Brown, $17)
“Classic Children’s Tales: 150 Years of Frederick Warne”
The publisher honors its sesquicentennial with this handsome 112-page foil-stamped keepsake. Find a dozen Mother Goose ditties bearing Kate Greenaway's endearing original art, Edward Lear's "Nonsense Songs and Stories," and Randolph Caldecott's cunning illustrations for "Sing a Song of Sixpence," which deserve 30 pages. Of course Warne's No. 1 author Beatrix Potter is here, with a delicious surprise: a never-before-published frisky tale titled "The Sly Cat." A treasure for collectors, new parents, or a family with wide-eyed tykes. (Ages 3-7, Frederick Warne/Penguin Random House, $25)
“Sail Away” by Langston Hughes, art by Ashley Bryan
There's so much to discover and ponder within the dazzlingly bright paper-cut collage scenes by 92-year-old Bryan, recipient of the Coretta Scott King-Virginia Hamilton Lifetime Achievement Award. Each of 15 water-themed poems by Hughes (including "Seascape" and "The Negro Speaks of Rivers") is enhanced by a radiant two-page splash. A huge celebration of life itself. (Ages 4-8, Atheneum, $17.99)
“Home Alone: The Classic Illustrated Storybook”
Based on the story written by John Hughes and directed by Chris Columbus, illustrated by Kim Smith
It may be 25 years old, but “Home Alone” was the only movie all the cousins wanted to watch this past Thanksgiving. And there they were, howling again at the familiar gags involving left-alone Kevin McCallister trying to outfox those blundering burglars, Marv and Harry.
The story has been skillfully pared down for a picture book that's as giddy as the hit movie. Smith's 1960s-style cartoon illustrations pop all over the pages, spiking the punch just a titch more. Fun-fun-fun for the whole family. (Ages 4-8, Quirk Books, $18.95)
“The Story of Diva and Flea,” as told and shown by Mo Willems and Tony DiTerlizzi
Two children's book powerhouses team up for this delightful Parisian tale about a sheltered little dog and a big wandering alley cat. This fine original tale about the essence of friendship and discovery has all the makings of a classic. (Ages 6-8, Disney-Hyperion, $14.99)
“Swan” by Laurel Snyder, illustrated by Julie Morstad
The versatile Atlanta-based author Snyder renders quietly lovely text for what is one of the most beautiful picture books of the season. Like exquisite ballet, Morstad's artwork for this biography of great Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova dances across the pages with high expression, elegance and grace. Several snowy scenes and the pictures of young Anna swirling into various positions are especially captivating. (Ages 6-9, Chronicle Books, $17.99)
“Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” by J.K. Rowling, illustrated by Jim Kay
The original (un-Americanized) text of the first Potter novel is reformatted into a lavishly illustrated 246-page picture book. More than 100 masterful paintings complement the story’s dramatic power. This gem with a red cloth bookmark and pages as thick as they are smooth was built to be well used.
So who needs it? Three categories: every true-blue Harry Potter fan; any young reader who thinks he's about ready to dig into the groundbreaking series; and a parent or teacher reading aloud over a period of time. (Ages 8 and up, Scholastic, $39.99)
But wait, there's more: Harry Potter Coloring Book offers 96 pages of images ready for crayons or colored pencils. (Ages 8 and up, Scholastic, $15.99)
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