Although there is much to be said about the charm of individual books that small hands can handle alone, this collection is an exceptional value! For about a dollar more than a single hard covered picture book, this oversized anthology includes full size, original art and text of such all time favorite picture books as: Sheep in a Jeep, Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel, Martha Speaks, Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed, Tack the Penguin, Curious George and the Firefighters, and so many more stories and poems! But, as they say on those info commercials--that's not all. Included in the book is a CD that children can listen to and follow as the book is read to them. All in all, a real buy! It's a tad on the heavy side for young kids to handle on their own, but it's a great book for sharing or set them up at a table with a player they can start and stop. A safe bet this will be a book they return to many times.

Age: Preschool, Early School Years. Award Year: 2011. Click here to purchase the product on Amazon.com.

Some of the best folk singers ever appear on this compilation of noteworthy music. Pete Seeger doing I Had a Rooster; Woody Guthrie singing Riding in My Car; Buckwheat Zydeco singing Crawfish Song; Sweet Honey in the Rock singing Little Red Caboose.  There’s music from Taj Mahal, Raffi, Doc Watson, Bonnie Raitt. All ages.

Age: Preschool, Early School Years. Award Year: 2011.

It's hard to believe that 30 years have passed since the story of Jumanji originally appeared. Chis Van Allsburg's Caldecott Award winning fantasy with its black and white drawings and remarkable tale invites young readers on a strange and mysterious adventure, when Peter and his sister Judy discover a board game that comes to life. This is not a CD version of the movie Jamanji, which also stars Robin Williams. It is completely faithful to the words on the printed page, but as you can imagine, Williams brings many voices and his own pace in his telling. With the original hard cover edition and the CD this makes a splendid gift.

Age: Early School Years. Award Year: 2011.