Many Happy Returns

Several reissued titles will be welcomed by fans of their celebrated authors and artists. Louis gets the gift that keeps on giving—or growing, rather—in The Mysterious Tadpole by Steven Kellogg. The story about a boy and his burgeoning birthday present returns in a 25th-anniversary edition featuring revised text and full-color illustrations. (Dial, $16.99 40p ages 4-8 ISBN 0-8037-2788-7; Aug.)

A neurotic pig plans a party for National Snout Day in Portly McSwine by James Marshall, first published in 1979. "What if my refreshments aren't tasty enough?" he worries. Marshall's signature sketches show the porcine star's preparations. (Houghton, $15 32p ages 4-8 ISBN 0-618-18381-7; paper $4.95 -18380-9; Aug.)

A father tells his daughter about her departed mother in Dawn by Molly Bang, an adaptation of the Japanese legend of the Crane Wife set in 19th-century New England. PW's boxed review, when the book was originally published in 1983, described the text as "graceful" and the artwork "arresting." (North-South/SeaStar, $15.95 32p ages 5-8 ISBN 1-58717-187-2; $5.95 paper -188-0; Aug.)

From Antler to Zero (degrees, that is), the seasons of the Minnesota woods come to life in Antler, Bear, Canoe: A Northwoods Alphabet Year by Betsy Bowen. When it was first published in 1991, PW praised the "memorable, unusually fine woodcuts" and "lyrical text." (Houghton, $16 32p ages 4-8 ISBN 0-618-20864-X; paper $5.95 -22638-9; Aug.)

Encore! Encore!

Companion volumes and encore performances will keep youngsters entertained. The team behind Little Cliff and the Porch People and Little Cliff's First Day of School pair up for a third time in Little Cliff and the Cold Place by Clifton L. Taulbert, illus. by E.B. Lewis. Once again, the story takes place in 1950s Mississippi. Poppa Joe comes up with a plan to give his son a firsthand feel for the Arctic after the boy learns about the region in school. (Dial, $16.99 32p ages 4-8 ISBN 0-8037-2558-2; Sept.)

The mischievous monkeys return in Chimp and Zee and the Big Storm by Laurence Anholt, illus. by Catherine Anholt. In this adventure, the duo is swooped up by high winds, then saved—just in the nick of time—by their quick-thinking Mumkey. (Penguin Putnam/Fogelman, $16.99 32p ages 2-6 ISBN 0-8037-2700-3; Sept.)

Fia and the Imp by Lauren Mills, illus. by Mills and Dennis Nolan, is the follow-up to Fairy Wings: A Story (1995). Here, Fia the fairy prepares to marry; but when she rushes off to rescue two woodkin friends she meets Boggle the Imp who tests her true desires. (Little, Brown, $15.95 32p ages 6-8 ISBN 0-316-57412-0; Sept.)

In Carlo Likes Counting by Jessica Spanyol, a follow-up to last year's Carlo Likes Reading, the titular giraffe counts from one to 10, with one number to a spread. The happy giraffe observes objects labeled in groupings (in the house, on the lawn, etc.) according to the featured number (e.g., two bees, two bananas, etc., for the number "two"). Plenty of unlabeled items appear, too, for little ones to point out themselves. (Candlewick, $14.99 32p ages 2-5 ISBN 0-7636-1774-1; Aug.)

The Many-Mouthed Midnight Muncher and the Big Butted Bug Eyed Terrible Tongue Twister are among the horrible creatures pictured and explained in Everything I Know About Monsters by Tom Lichtenheld. Illustrated in campy cartoon style, the sequel to Everything I Know About Pirates contains a tongue-in-cheek "Monster Avoidance Chart," a monster brain analysis and the truth about Big Foot (he's a "Boy Scout gone bad"). (S&S, $16.95 40p ages 4-8 ISBN 0-689-84381-X; Sept.)

Finally, Fiestas: A Year of Latin American Songs of Celebration, selected, arranged and translated by José-Luis Orozco, illus. by Elisa Kleven, marks the third collection of songs for the pair. This one suggests a song for every month, along with a description of the holiday it commemorates. (Dutton, $17.99 56p all ages ISBN 0-525-45937-5; Sept.)