All Aboard!

Original board books and sturdy editions for smallest hands top the shelves this winter. Fans of David Shannon's No, David! will clamor for two original Diaper David Books: Oops! and Oh, David! The first title introduces David's first words, accompanied by appropriate sound effects. The opening spread, for instance, shows "Ball" in upper and lower case letters while, opposite, the hero peers through a broken window, "Uh-oh!" The second title showcases choice words from Mommy: "Open up, Davey!" says she as the fellow refuses food; "Go to sleep, David!" depicts the wide-eyed toddler upright in his crib. These are a must for youngest book lovers and their caregivers. (Scholastic/Blue Sky, $9.99 each 12p ages 3-5 ISBN 0-439-68882-5; 0-439-68881-7; Feb.)

Barnyard animals gallivant from page to page in a quartet of original titles in the Farm Sound Board Books series by Russell Julian, each with an appropriate sound chip. A brightly plumed rooster proudly proclaims his parenthood in Happy Cockerel, while a baby calf stays just out of sight of his worried mother in Lost Calf. Youngsters watch a small porker search for the perfect meal in Hungry Pig and discover how man's best friend keeps the sheep in line in Busy Dog. Julian's humorous depiction of the barnyard denizens playfully exaggerates a porcine snout or the prideful posture of a papa rooster. (Egmont [Trafalgar Sq., dist.], $8.99 each 12p ages 2-3 ISBN 1-4052-1030-3; 1-4052-1029-X; 1-4052-1032-X; 1-4052-1031-1; Mar.)

"Dyer's commanding yet gentle, large-scale watercolors are the key to the appeal of this bedtime lullaby," wrote PW of the hardcover edition of Time for Bed by Mem Fox, now available in an oversize board book edition. A host of parents nudge their little ones to sleep, from a mouse to a sheep to the final image of a smiling human mother tucking in her child. (Harcourt, $9.95 28p ages 6 mos.-3 yrs. ISBN 0-15-205349-2; Mar.)

The zaftig washerwoman of the Mrs. Wishy-Washy series stars in two board book versions of classic adventures by Joy Cowley, illus. by Elizabeth Fuller. Troll-like meanies splash paint all over the garden shed before they pay for their shenanigans with a vigorous scrubbing in Mrs. Wishy-Washy's Splishy-Sploshy. The heroine goes a bit too far when she can't turn off her deluxe cleaning machine and ends up with bubbles in her hair and a soapy flower bed in Mrs. Wishy-Washy's Scrubbing Machine. (Philomel, $5.99 each 10p ages 1-up ISBN 0-399-24202-3; 0-399-24203-1; Feb.)

Books to Push and Pull

Several titles encourage active play. The board book My Little Toolbox by Nathan Reed closes with two Velcro "snaps" and a handle emerges from the back cover to create a toolbox-shaped reading experience. Toddlers can experiment with an assortment of removable cardboard tools, while a line of text explains the correct use of each gadget: "I've got lots of screws to twist and turn," says the boy narrator while holding a screwdriver. (Little Simon, $6.99 10p ages 2-5 ISBN 0-689-87706-4; Mar.)

A tuft of fur on a shaggy pooch peers through the die-cut doghouse cover of My Dog by Angela Joy, illus. by Nicola Slater. Joe wants a dog, and his mom encourages him to consider a variety of poofy, slinky-styled pets (an Afghan, a poodle, a dachshund, etc., all pictured), but he picks the small shy Scottie that he first saw. (Tiger Tales, $12.95 14p ages 3-7 ISBN 1-58925-759-6; Mar.)

Just in time for spring training, Take Me Out to the Ball Game, based on the lyrics of the well-known tune, inspires John Stadler's intricately detailed pop-up spreads. Howler Stadium, chock-full of animals, captures the bustling enthusiasm of the crowd. A team of octopi act as efficient ticket collectors, pull-tabs allow children to decide whether a leopard successfully steals first or a bespectacled elephant rises to cheer for the home team. (Little Simon, $12.95 16p ages 4-8 ISBN 0-689-85917-1; Mar.)

Hands-on Fun with Klutz

While waiting for the weather to cooperate, kids can find hours of indoor fun with a host of titles from Klutz. Stored in a transparent and reclosable cylindrical plastic case, a tennis ball, a bouncing ball and a perforated plastic ball fasten to the spiral-bound The Klutz Book of Ball Games by Doug Stillinger, which gives directions for nearly 30 different activities, from classics such as "Spud!" to the dubious "Bop the Brother." (Scholastic/Klutz, $14.95 52p. ages 6-up ISBN 1-57054-254-6; Mar.)

The spiral-bound Suction Cup Critters: Make-Your-Own Window Grabbers by Michael Sherman allows children to choose from 27 suction cups and 50 pipe cleaners in an array of colors plus animal cut-outs (all enclosed in a transparent case affixed to the book's back cover) to create silly cartoonish creatures that easily adhere to smooth surfaces. Whether these critters adorn your otherwise dignified car window or fridge, they won't leave a mess when they detach. (Scholastic/Klutz, $14.95 20p ages 6-up ISBN 1-57054-267-8; Mar.)

Connected kids can make a fashion statement with their cells thanks to Dial with Style by Susan Fox and Karen Phillips. The small spiralbound book gives hints on how to best snazz up a handset and includes a kit (attached to the back cover) with more than 100 stickers and sticky-back "jewels," phone paint which can easily be removed, rings, clasps, beads and more. (Scholastic/Klutz, $12.95 38p ages 11-up ISBN 1-57054-875-7; Mar.)

A massive wand capable of 6'x4' bubbles invented by New York architect David Stein accompanies How to Make Monstrous, Huge, Unbelievably Big Bubbles by David Stein, an updated version of Klutz's bestselling The Unbelievable Bubble Book. The wand's parts come in a transparent case attached to the spiral binding of the book, which first shows kids how to put the wand together and then offers a recipe for "bubble juice" that can be used to create the mammoth bubbles, and a chart of ideal conditions for bubble-making. Almost every page contains a photograph of a small child dwarfed by an enormous soapy creation. (Scholastic/Klutz, $16.95 38p ages 8-up ISBN 1-57054-257-0; Mar.)

For the craft lover, Make Your Own Itty Bitty Princesses; Make Your Own Itty-Bitty Angels; and Make Your Own Itty-BittyBallerinas come with a reclosable circular tin affixed to the spiralbound books' back cover, containing beads, florist's wire, floss and flower petals to make miniature dolls. The princess tin also includes head caps, ribbon and jewels, while the angel tin boasts faux leaves, sequins and glitter. These fairy-size books offer easy-to-follow instructions with helpful illustrations. (Scholastic/Klutz, $9.95 each 32p ages 8-up ISBN 1-59174-277-3, 1-59174-275-7; 1-59174-276-5; Mar.)

Tips for Parents

Two books suggest ways that parents can approach challenging topics with their children. The team behind the Berenstain Bears present The Bear Essentials: Everything Today's Hard-Pressed Parent Needs to Know About Bringing Up Happy, Healthy Kids by Stan and Jan Berenstain. Chapters about peer pressure, sex, TV watching and even finances open with an excerpt from the bestselling books, followed by simple rules of thumb by the wise authors. Full-color spot illustrations of Brother and Sister Bear balance with sepia-toned scenes of human families working through challenges. (Random, $10.95 paper 160p ages 16-up ISBN 0-375-83266-1; Jan.)

Let's Talk About S-E-X: A Guide for Kids 9 to 12 and Their Parents by Sam Gitchel and Lorri Foster tackles one tough subject in a frank, conversational tone. Beginning with "The Inside Story," about how sexual organs develop (anatomical line drawings illustrate), the narrative then segues into a discussion of intercourse. Many parents will welcome the way the authors dispel common misconceptions ("Many teenagers face a lot of pressure to have intercourse before they are ready.... The truth is, most teenagers are not having sex"). A section for parents helps them prepare for this discussion, anticipating questions and offering a list of Web sites and other resources. (Book Peddlers [PGW, dist.], $9.99 paper 96p ages 9-up ISBN 1-931863-18-0; Spanish ed. 1-931863-19-9;Feb.)