Five truly remarkable pop-up trucks spring from the pages of this amazing new book. A garbage truck, monster truck, concrete transport, car transporter, and truck train lift up as you read about the work they do and how they do it. Like most elaborate pop-ups, this is one you will want to keep on a high shelf to share when you can supervise, unless you are not going to be very upset when little hands do what little hands do. That said, this is also a good opportunity for teaching kids about gentle ways with delicate things.

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

Everyone knows the song Jingle Bells, but did you know it was written by a minister in Savannah, Georgia. Based on a true story, John Pierpont was an abolitionist from Boston and was seriously missing the cool days of New England when November rolled around. He realized that his daughter had never seen snow or been in a sled. Although his Unitarian Church is under attack by pro-slavery brickthrowers, he writes his annual Christmas song for the children's chorus and the rest is history. Adam Gustavson's illustrations capture the 1850's setting and John Harris has spun a good yarn that kids will remember when they sing about that one horse open sleigh.

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

How do you make a great thing greater? Add the third dimension. That is what they have done to this classic love story between Little Nutbrown Hare and Big Nutbrown Hare. As the two profess their love for each other, each pop-up springs off the page to make their exaggerated motions bigger and more concrete. Of course, they are anything but concrete, in the usual sense. Hares' long arms and pull tabs are going to get a lot of wear and tear and oops! So, this is one beauty of a book that you will want to save for sharing time when you can do little demos on gentle use. That said, this is a charmer. It seems that the story was just made to be a pop-up!

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

There is just the right amount of page turning suspense in this sweet story of a little bird that does not want to leave his nest and thinks he cannot fly. Winter is coming and it is time to fly south. Then nature takes a hand and lifts the nest out of the tree and off to an adventure that is at once exciting and reassuring, since Mama bird manages to follow her baby and urge him on. It is no so much about separation as it is about the scariness of trying new things and the joy of succeeding. It speaks volumes.

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

This is not your nursery school teacher's wheels on the bus. Not at all! Jane Cabrera has moved the bus to Africa and put wonderfully colorful wild creatures on board the bus who travel "All Day Long." She starts with lion with a bold yellow and orange mane who roars, roars, roars, all day long. Next come the bold pink flamingos who flap, flap, flap. Then there's a hungry Zebra who just comps, chomps, chomps. You get the idea. As always, Cabrera takes a familiar song and gives it a new look and a new life! So appealing. A new book with a new version of an old song--a book to sing!

The Wheels on the Bus          

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

Clear, straightforward information with simple pictures make this an excellent way to answer questions of preschoolers about their bodies. The lively child centered illustrations are full of action and not at all textbookish. The language neither speaks down nor over the heads of young children. Without overloading the text with more than they want to know, this book gives you a chance to convey information that kids are curious to know. Some children are reluctant to ask and some parents are reluctant to tell. Robie Harris' Who Has What? Can solve both sides of the conundrum without discomfort.

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

As always, Jon Agee comes through with a laugh-out-loud story about a boy and his Rhinoceros. Agee's wry humor comes through even on the title page with a shopkeeper's sign on the counter that says, "ALL SALES FINAL." On the next page we see a small boy holding the leash of an enormous grey rhinoceros. Early on, the boy is let down by what his rhino cannot do. But in time, his wonderful pet takes off, so to speak. The closing page recalls the classic easy to read book of Danny and the Dinosaur. This is not written as a beginner book, but there is not a lot of text and it's just the kind of story that first and second graders will want to hear and then try to read. My Rhinoceros is a tall tale, totally zany, slightly contrived, but refreshing good fun for the sake of pure fun.

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

Cat and Dog are good friends. But Dog gets annoyed when Cat copies everything she does. One day she is nasty and calls Dog a copycat over and over again. The next day Cat does not show up to play--and the next day as well. After a while, Dog discovers how much more fun it is to have someone to play with and goes to Cat's house. Soon the tables are turned. A sweet story about friendship. 4 & up.

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

A stack of ten little chunky books, each with a familiar nursery rhyme. The set includes Baa Baa Black Sheep, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, Hey Diddle Diddle, Humpty Dumpty, Itsy Bitsy Spider, Jack be Nimble, Little Bo Peep. Little Miss Muffet, This Little Piggy, Twinkle Twinkle, and Rain, Rain Go Away. The set is produced on recycled materials and is printed in more muted tones than similar collections. 2 & up.

Age: Infants, Toddlers, Preschool. Award Year: 2011. Click here to purchase the product on Amazon.com.

Just in time for beginner's reading pleasure, a new Elephant and Piggy book. Run to the nearest bookstore for this silly cumulative tale about how Elephant broke his trunk. But be careful not to break anything on the way. The repetitive format allows the beginner to dive in and keep going with ease and merriment. A well paced easy to read that kids will want to read aloud to all members of the family. Look for others in this delightful series.

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