Haiku Baby
By Betsy Snyder
Random House Books for Young Readers
$6.99, ages 0–3
What a delightful board book! Babies and toddlers will love the bright, colorful illustrations depicting children’s favorite aspects of nature, including birds, flowers, and rain. Children and adults alike will revel in the simple, sweet haiku verses celebrating the intricacies of all that the natural world has to offer.
The Ultimate Guide to Grandma’s and Grandpa’s
By Sally Lloyd-Jones
HarperCollins Children’s Books
$14.99, ages 3–7
It’s time to wile away the days of summer at Grandma and Grandpa’s house! But how do you make sure your stay is all it’s meant to be? The Ultimate Guide to Grandma’s and Grandpa’s is an endearing book filled with a wealth of tips to help kids make the most of their stay. It also is teeming with ways for children to show their grandparents just how much they mean to them.
The Wicked Big Toddlah
By Kevin Hawkes
Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers
$16.99, ages 4–8
Wacky and wonderful, this picture book is filled with hilarious illustrations and prose depicting the antics of a giant baby during his first year of life. That’s right, a giant baby! Born big and getting bigger by the day, the wicked big toddler (or toddlah, as New Englanders like to say) explores his world with a great deal of gusto, tossing around life-size boats and taking giant-size bites out of trees.
The Boy Who Wouldn’t Share
By Mike Reiss
HarperCollins Children’s Books
$16.99, ages 6–8
Sharing has long been a problem for young Edward. Whether it is his huge collection of toys or his overwhelming array of books,
Edward refuses to share — until he finds himself buried beneath his treasures. With the help of a friend, Edward learns an important lesson: sharing will certainly get you everything you want, including a good friend.
The Penderwicks on Gardam Street
By Jeanne Birdsall
Knopf Books
$15.99, ages 9–12
The four Penderwick sisters are shocked when their widowed father announces it’s time for him to start dating again. Enter the “Save Daddy” plan, which the girls hope will help them avoid the predictable wicked stepmother they see in their future. Of course, the plan goes awry and only serves to make their father miserable as the sisters themselves get tangled up in their own messes. These genuine, well-developed characters will draw mid-level (9+) readers into a sweet family story that’s easy to relate to.
