Dig! Lift! Push!
(John Deere Books, DK $7.99 Score:)

There is no story here, but yet each photo shows a major construction truck and tells in a word what it does. The photos are clear and for enthusiastic truck lovers, this will be a treat. Also in the same line, a farming book called Plow! Plant! Grow! with big piece of equipment that does each job.

Age: Toddlers. Award Year: 2009. Click here to purchase the product on Amazon.com.

Animal Friends
(by Maya Ajmera and John Ivanko, Charlesbridge $6.95 Score:) Children from all over the world are featured in full color photographs with the many animals in this small board book, which introduces basic concepts about the various kinds of animals of the world. While the book compares the physical traits in the broadest of terms, the common denominator is the love that flows between animals and those who care for them. 2 & up.

Age: Toddlers. Award Year: 2003.

Maisy's Seasons
(by Lucy Cousins, Candlewick $8.99 Score:) Big and sturdy, this has multiple lift-up flaps or wheels that turn on big colorful pages featuring the four seasons. A fun way to introduce language and early science concepts. 2 & up.

Age: Toddlers. Award Year: 2003.

We've All Got Bellybuttons!
(by David Martin/illus by Randy Cecil, Candlewick $15.99 Score:) Toddlers and young preschoolers will enjoy the repetitive questions and active replies built into this jolly romp of a book. A playful book that introduces a big concept, namely that we all have a lot in common—hands for clapping, feet for kicking, and belly buttons for tickling. 2–5.

Age: Toddlers,Preschool. Award Year: 2006.

Germs Are Not For Sharing
(by Elizabeth Verdick/ illus. by Marieka Heinlen, Free Spirit Publishing $7.95 Score:) One of an excellent series of books that invites conversations with young kids about simple lifestyle issues. It talks directly about cover one’s mouth when you cough, using a tissue when you sneeze, washing your hands, etc. O.K. it’s a little on the preachy side, but some things are worth repeating and finding them in a book may make a bigger impression. 2’s & up.

Age: Toddlers,Preschool. Award Year: 2007.

Maisy, Charley, and the Wobbly Tooth
(by Lucy Cousins, Candlewick $12.99 Score:) Charley has a wobbly tooth, so Maisy and his other friend go to the dentist with him. A playful choice for previewing a trip to the dentist. Nothing scary here, just a chair that goes up, down and around and a toothbrush that does the same.

Age: Toddlers. Award Year: 2007.