As in all the best illustrated children's books, Simont lets his pictures tell the story. We don't have to be told how wrenching it is for the kids to leave Willy behind--we see their small outstretched arms out the car window and the puppy watching them go. Simont doesn't have to tell us that the next Saturday the family is completely preoccupied with the possibility of another Willy sighting. We see the family, silent, munching, and just to the side is a plate of meat they've put out, just in case. Young readers will adore this simple tale of puppy love, but adults will be equally charmed. Simont illustrated his first book in 1939, and since then has illustrated nearly 100 titles, including the 1949 Caldecott Honor Book The Happy Day, by Ruth Krauss and Janice May Udry's A Tree Is Nice, winner of the 1957 Caldecott Medal. This book is our favorite so far of the year! (Ages 4 to 8) --Karin Snelson

Price: $14.99

Mommy, Daddy, Cassie, and Baby Louie welcome Marley, their new Labrador pup, into their family. But Marley doesn't stay a tiny puppy for long. He grows and grows, and the bigger Marley gets, the bigger trouble he gets into. Big, bad-boy trouble. Whether it's chewing Mommy's reading glasses or swallowing Daddy's paycheck, Marley is a dog like no other. He tries to be a good dog, honest he does, but everything he tries ends up bad. Then one day Marley goes too far. Will this family have to find a new home for their big, crazy, pure-hearted dog?

Inspired by John Grogan's bestselling memoir, Marley & Me, this heartwarming story shows that loving someone, flaws and all, can reap huge rewards.

The wizard, watchful, waits alone within his tower of cold gray stone and ponders in his wicked way what evil deeds he'll do this day.

What do you think the wizard is planning to do? Conjure a magic spell? Turn a frog into a flea? Fill a cauldron with bubbling brew?

You may think you know . . . but watch out. Because if the wizard is bored, he may come looking for you!

The wild things--with their mismatched parts and giant eyes--manage somehow to be scary-looking without ever really being scary; at times they're downright hilarious. Sendak's defiantly run-on sentences--one of his trademarks--lend the perfect touch of stream of consciousness to the tale, which floats between the land of dreams and a child's imagination.

This Sendak classic is more fun than you've ever had in a wolf suit, and it manages to reaffirm the notion that there's no place like home.

Price: $7.95

Welcome to Owl's cozy home.

Owl lives by himself in a warm little house. One evening he invites Winter to sit by the fire. Another time he finds strange bumps in his bedroom. And when Owl goes for a walk one night, he makes a friend that follows him all the way home.

Guess who's
at bat?

Blueberries for Sal--with its gentle animals, funny noises, and youthful spirit of adventure--is perfect for reading aloud. The endearing illustrations, rendered in dark, blueberry-stain blue, will leave you craving a fresh pail of your own. (Picture book)

Price: $7.99