Somehow variations on the Three Little Pigs keep coming and in the hands of Mark Teague, both the telling and the showing make for a very merry romp. Here a somewhat bad wolf goes through his usual paces at the usual straw and stick places. But when he gets to the brick house you are in for a surprise. It should be no surprise that the smart pig with the bow on her head is the one who is clever enough to build her house of bricks. Like so many of her gender she is able to predict outcomes. But, here's the spoiler alert: There is no chimney scene and all's well that ends well. It's easy to imagine what fun it could be hamming it up (oops, couldn't resist) as you share this fractured tale. 4-7

Age: Preschool, Early School Years. Award Year: 2013. Click here to purchase the product on Amazon.com.

The chase is on, Cowpoke Clyde has a dirty dawg who needs a bath. In this merry romp dawg keeps getting the best of Clyde and the other animals on the ranch. A fun yarn told in verse that makes for an amusing read-a-loud. 4-8

Age: Preschool, Early School Years. Award Year: 2013. Click here to purchase the product on Amazon.com.

Oh, oh, there is a big green gator in this book that was not supposed to be in here! But don't be frightened. It is not really looking for you! In fact it is looking for the way out. Told in big bold strokes, Open Very Carefully provides a good opening for further adventures that kids may like to spin. They say 3-5, we'd say more like 5 & up.

Age: Early School Years. Award Year: 2013. Click here to purchase the product on Amazon.com.

Tallulah, like so many other little ballerinas is longing to toe shoes, the kind that real ballerinas wear when they dance on pointe. Not content to wait, as everyone tries to tell her she must, she takes home a pair of discarded slippers and makes some sad discoveries. Unlike so many ballet stories, this one ends on a hopeful note with a nod to the bigger idea that some things you have to wait for and can't happen instantly.

Age: Preschool, Early School Years. Award Year: 2013.

Turner classic fans who watch old Fred Astaire films will enjoy reading about the famous dancer's early days when he was part of a brother sister act that danced its way to fame. Stylish illustrations and a lively telling make this a god choice for kids who like non-fiction, show-biz and dancing. The text is done in a tight font so this is not for beginners, though it looks like one.

Age: Early School Years. Award Year: 2013. Click here to purchase the product on Amazon.com.

This girlhood story about Ella Fitzgerald was originally published as a stand alone title. It has now been reissued in a hard or paper cover version in new series of biographies. These are not easy to read, the text is printed in a small font, but it may be just right for young chapter book readers who are interested in non-fiction or jazz. One has to hope that Ella is as timeless the publication of this book would suggest. It's a lively story of an original and talented orphan who didn't give up even during the tough days of the great depression.

Age: Early School Years. Award Year: 2013. Click here to purchase the product on Amazon.com.

With some guilt for the way we treated my best friend's little sister, I have confess this story about two "big kids" who try to ignore a little brother rings, oh, so true! Big sisters do have a way of wanting time alone with friends, a fact that little brothers and sisters don't seem too understand. With good humor and some predictability, the stand-off ends with little brother saving the two big kids with some help from Mom, of course. This is the best story in the new collection of easy, I Like to Read titles.

Age: Early School Years. Award Year: 2013. Click here to purchase the product on Amazon.com.

The story of the incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II is rarely told in picture book format. This moving tale of a boy who misses his father, his home and the foods his mother used to cook, not only captures the history of the time, it fits the age group it is meant to reach. In truth, fishing was a popular pastime in most of the camps, without the need to cut the fence. Indeed, Taro's doing that might have cost him his life. But it provides the drama needed for storytelling, so we will let it pass. The illustrations have a folk art primitive look and the book tells the tale that needs to be shared, so that it never happens again.

Age: Early School Years. Award Year: 2013. Click here to purchase the product on Amazon.com.

Based on the characters of the original Curious George books by Margaret and H.A. Rey, this little story starts out in a toy store where George is supposed to be shopping for a gift for a friend but falls in love with a wooden train. His big friend, the man in the yellow hat suggests that George can save his pennies for it. Of course, he manages to do so in record time but then looses his piggy bank. All's well that ends well and this is no exception. Like many of the original Curious George books this has some big messages that come through without being preachy-well maybe a little. There's also a pullout cardboard bank for saving pennies in, although pennies may be out-moded since they cost more than a penny apiece to mint. 4-7

Age: Preschool, Early School Years. Award Year: 2013. Click here to purchase the product on Amazon.com.

A tender story of a boy and his father separated by the Chinese Cultural Revolution. Though most picture book age children are not likely to know the history of this time, it will be meaningful to those who have heard of the hardships endured from family members who lived it. Most of all, it speaks to the love that endures between parent and child in times of separation, one that children of today do know about with parents in the service or separated after divorce. Greg Ruth’s watercolor illustrations capture the unfamiliar landscape as well as the emotional tone of this moving book. If only all such stories had such joyful endings. 7 & up.

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