For the growing season this set of three handsome picture books may well inspire a new crop of young gardeners. These are all reissued in a smaller paperback format that retains the artful look of the originals. Eating the Alphabet is an alphabet book of fruits and veggies. Growing Vegetable Soup is a treasure of artful veggies with a recipe for making soup. Planting a Rainbow is a color concept book with more than 20 different kinds of flowers. The gift package comes with a poster to hang in the kitchen or a child's room.

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

A young science book that recalls a night of catching, observing and then freeing fireflies. Told in verse, this little story will be familiar to kids who have enjoyed the magic of capturing the blinking lights of firefly night. 3 & up.

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

Big bold illustrations of familiar farm animals are featured in the playful book with cutout holes that allow a partial view of the animal hidden on the next page. The text offers a clue to help the little listener guess who will show up when the page is turned. Based on the original game and always popular game of I Spy With My Little Eye, this is a fun way to introduce toddlers to knowing and naming, color concepts and animal sounds. It includes letter names. For young toddlers we suggest skipping the letter names—use the sound the letter make as a hint or skip the letters altogether for young listeners. That's something they can grow into.

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

Based on a folktale from Uganda, Give Up, Gecko! is a gem of a read-aloud with lots of repetition. Children will soon be chanting along with the reader, cheering each of the thirsty animals seeking water. Told with wit and perfect pacing, the story and playful illustrations speak to big ideas about sticking to a task and that being small is not a measure of what one can do. In MacDonald's telling, one can almost hear the village storyteller pouring this tale out to young and old alike as they gather by the fire. 4-8

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

When Justin lost a hat his Grandmother made for him, his mother insists that he needs to take better care of his things. Justin takes this to heart and discovers a Lost and Found box in Mr. Rumowsky’s office. Each trip into the giant box has its own fears that are overcome. Justin brings forth treasures for others, but not his own missing hat. Still, when Gram comes visiting Justin has a hat that appears to be the missing one. 7 & up.

Age: Early School Years. Award Year: 2012. Click here to purchase the product on Amazon.com.

Everyone in the family will enjoy dipping into this compendium of interesting facts about the tallest, deepest, most, least and other such trivia. As always the colorful pages of this annual are crammed full of stats and facts that will inform and entertain. 8 & up.

Age: Early School Years, Later School Years, Tweens. Award Year: 2012. Click here to purchase the product on Amazon.com.

When she crashes her bike, makes new friends or tries anything new, Frankie finds out that doing new things takes bravery and that is how you grow up. A tender mix of humor and courage that kids will relate to as they try their own firsts.

Age: Early School Years. Award Year: 2012. Click here to purchase the product on Amazon.com.

Take off on a journey to an island that is totally fantastical. But you must be quick, as the island of Neverbelieve can rise up and walk away. Illustrated in soft watercolors, Messenger gives the reader a tour of his imagined island with crowded pages of strange trees, houses, creatures, and people (with cloven feet) that inhabit this unbelievable place. Many pages have gates that open to reveal still more sightings and short exclamations. Trees formed of ropes, bricks, chocolate, to name but a few, are sure to inspire creative kids to draw their own Neverbelieve worlds. A fun journey to share--with so much to see. Kids are sure to return to this one again and again. 7 & up.

Age: Early School Years, Later School Years. Award Year: 2012. Click here to purchase the product on Amazon.com.

When Penny receives a gift from her Gram, she is thrilled to have a pretty new doll. But what is the doll's name? Papa says she will find the right name and Penny does exactly that. An easy to read book that beginning readers, who are fond of dolls, will relate to and find success reading. Level 1.

Age: Early School Years. Award Year: 2012. Click here to purchase the product on Amazon.com.

An amusing, if predictable, story about Dixie, a dog who wants to run in the relay race with her girl, Emma. When Emma drops the baton you know who is going to cross the finish line. Told with a minimum of words for the true beginner. Lively and light reading for building success. Level 1.

Age: Early School Years. Award Year: 2012. Click here to purchase the product on Amazon.com.