There are 25 lively and new arrangements of such standards as Itsy Bitsy Spider, Polly Wolly Doodle, Skip to my Lou and other very familiar songs. Arrangements include rock 'n Roll, Blues, Hip Hop, Folk and Country styles. A good one for the toddlers and preschoolers to sing along, dance along and bring along for road trips.

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

Although there is much to be said about the charm of individual books that small hands can handle alone, this collection is an exceptional value! For about a dollar more than a single hard covered picture book, this oversized anthology includes full size, original art and text of such all time favorite picture books as: Sheep in a Jeep, Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel, Martha Speaks, Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed, Tack the Penguin, Curious George and the Firefighters, and so many more stories and poems! But, as they say on those info commercials--that's not all. Included in the book is a CD that children can listen to and follow as the book is read to them. All in all, a real buy! It's a tad on the heavy side for young kids to handle on their own, but it's a great book for sharing or set them up at a table with a player they can start and stop. A safe bet this will be a book they return to many times.

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

With her soothing voice and calm narration, Gwyneth Paltrow reads the classic picture book with Eric Carle's marvelous bold illustrations of endangered species that we want to keep in our world. As always, Carle's painting and cut paper collages have a unique look. KIds can listen to this independently when you are busy or enjoy it together as a lapbook with signals that will tell your child when to turn the page.

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

Marjorie W. Sharmat's series has long been a staple for young chapter book readers. This 4-disk set includes The Lost List, The Sticky Case, The Fishy Prize, The Boring Beach Bag, The Mushy Valentine, Talks Turkey, and the Hungry Book Club. These are good for car pool quiet time or afternoon rest time. Bringing home some of the recordings give young readers a way into a series that they may then go on to enjoy on their own. 9 and up.

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

In this most recent recording of a Magic Tree House adventure, Jack and Annie are off to ancient India where they must find a magical emerald in order to rescue Penny, a penguin that has been put under a spell and turned to stone. Read by the author, Mary Pope Osborne, this is one of a series that 9-12 year olds love. Bringing home a 2 CD set may be a great way to whet their appetite to both hear and read more of the dozens of Magic Tee House stories. We like that it combines some fantasy with history and adventure that is right on the mark for this age group. They like having some familiar characters that ease them into each new story. Also new this season, Dogs in the Dead of Winter, a Swiss adventure.

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

Some of the best folk singers ever appear on this compilation of noteworthy music. Pete Seeger doing I Had a Rooster; Woody Guthrie singing Riding in My Car; Buckwheat Zydeco singing Crawfish Song; Sweet Honey in the Rock singing Little Red Caboose.  There’s music from Taj Mahal, Raffi, Doc Watson, Bonnie Raitt. All ages.

Age: Preschool, Early School Years. Award Year: 2011.

Dingo Dog is a bully and all the other animals are fed up with his nasty ways. Together they come up with a plan to trick the nasty Dingo and manage to teach him a lesson in this lively retelling of a traditional Australian folktale. A fun way to introduce young listeners to trickster tales that are found in almost all cultures. This folktale is one of a series of paperback books, each packaged with a CD. There is no music or over the top narration. The telling is pretty straightforward, with bell signals to turn the pages. Also in the series, Rabbit Cooks up a Cunning Plan, The Ant and the Big Bad Bully Goat, and Bear and Turtle and the Great Lake Race.

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

This trickster tale starts out like the Tortoise and the Hare, only this time it Turtle and Bear. In the race to get across the lake Bear is sure he is going to outrun Turtle, but Turtle outwits him with a lot of help from his brothers and sisters! This Native American folktale is one of a series of paperback books, each packaged with a CD. There is no music or over the top narration. The telling is pretty straightforward, with bell signals to turn the pages. Also in the series, Rabbit Cooks up a Cunning Plan, Dingo Dog and the Billabong Storm, The Ant and the Big Bad Bully Goat.

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

All the animals are afraid of the big old hungry Mountain Lion. When he threatens to eat them all, they promise to take turns cooking him special dinners, so that he will have no need to eat them up.  Each of them do this until Rabbit forgets to cook anything. But then, the clever little one cooks up a plan that frees everyone from the dreaded lion. He tells lion that he was attacked by another lion that is bigger and more ferocious. When lion insists on seeing the other lion for himself, rabbit leads him to a deep well where he plunges in after the lion he hears and sees. This North American folktale is one of a series of paperback books, each packaged with a CD. There is no music or over the top narration. The telling is pretty straightforward, with bell signals to turn the pages. Also in the series, Bear and Turtle and the Great Lake Race, Dingo Dog and the Billabong Storm, The Ant and the Big Bad Bully Goat.

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

If you know a family with a new baby or one on the way, give them this book and CD! Designed to inspire moms and dads to sing, dance and play with their baby, the colorful hard covered book is illustrated by James Nocito with verve and a happy blend of playfulness to match the songs. As always, Cathy and Marcy have created music that has a variety of styles and rhythms to make the sound interesting and they've kept the lyrics easy enough for parents who are musical or not. These songs have a Pete Seeger kind of sound to them that make you want to tap your foot, dance around and sing along. Although the cover says there are 22 songs, in fact, there are eleven original songs, each one is sung by a female and then a male voice with banjo and other stringed accompaniment. This is pure Cathy-and-Marcy-wonderful!

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