"Best of the Best" Books 1966–1978 (SLJ)Children's Books of 1966 (Library of Congress)

    A might be for apple, but it's also for aisle and aeons. Why does the word "gnat" start with a G but the word "knot" doesn't start with an N? It doesn't always make sense, but don't let these rule-breaking silent letters defeat you!This whimsical, funky book from Raj Haldar (aka rapper Lushlife) turns the traditional idea of an alphabet book on its head, poking fun at the most mischievous words in the English language and demonstrating how to pronounce them. Fun and informative for word nerds of all ages!

    Introduce little ones to letters in this bold and graphic style board book by illustrator and textile designer Jane Foster.In this ABC board book, children will be introduced to letters by associating them with animals, such as D for duck, L for lion, and Z for zebra.

    Back to bed, no school today for Llama Llama! Instead, he's home with Mama. By lunchtime, though, he's beginning to feel a tiny bit better. But now someone else has the sneezes . . . Mama! And who will help her feel better? Why, Llama Llama, of course! Anna Dewdney's fun-to-read rhymes are sure to help children and their parents get through those under-the-weather days.

    Chidchester, head of the Lost and Found, finds lost dogs. Marino Marino makes oyster stew, while thinking up interesting math problems. A man in a porkpie hat buys cherry pies. Maira Kalman's stylized artwork, along with entertaining text, brilliantly captures the excitement of Grand Central Station, "the busiest, fastest, biggest place there is."

    (It's common knowledge that goats are a chupacabra's favorite food!) One night, tired of living in fear, the impetuous goats whip out their trusty candelabra and head off to find the beast and scare it away before it can find them. Little do they know that candelabras are the chupacabra's third-favorite food . . . and he isn't about to stop there. This chupacabra has quite the appetite, and the goats are in for a big surprise!

    But where is Baby hiding? Eechy-eechy-egg! crows the red-tailed rooster. Is Baby near? Hru-hruu! Hru-hruu! whines the puppy dog. Is Baby crouching there? Jiak-jiak! Jiak-jiak! screeches a monkey in the banyan tree. Is Baby swinging there? Hornbill and snake, elephant and tiger — who can finally lead Papa to Baby's hiding place?

    Shapes: Is that a carrot, or a triangle? Colors: Watch for peppers in every range of the rainbow. Numbers: A zero-to-ten zoo! ABCs: A full produce section of sculptures acts out the alphabet. And Opposites: You've never seen Up/Down and Big/Little like this before! Every time we think Saxton Freymann can do no more with bok choy or broccoli, he astonishes us all over again. And this book is one-stop shopping for all parents' early-childhood education needs. Try some FOOD FOR THOUGHT!

    But it's tough when the cubs don't know the difference between running to home plate and running home! Will Brother Bear and Sister Bear be able to put together a winning team?The Berenstain Bears Play T-Ball is a Level One I Can Read book, which means it's perfect for children learning to sound out words and sentences.

    From A is for axle to Z is for zoom, young children will be introduced to taxis, hot rods, moon rovers, stagecoaches, racecars, ice cream trucks, and more in a celebration of where the wheels meet the road.Refreshing and unique, this concept book is filled with bold, graphic illustrations that race off the page!

    Using nothing but pressed plants, this journey through the seasons captures the wonder and magic of the natural world between the pages of a book. This standout title with beautiful nonfiction text will take readers through an extraordinary year in the wild.

    But he's too young to join his Bunny Scout brother and sister—so Mama and Papa show him him to camp right at home.Kids stuck at home for whatever reason will relate to Bailey, and parents will smile at the successful improvised solution created by his loving parents."You're too little" and "You can go in a few years" are no fun to hear. No wonder Bailey cries "It's not fair!" Good thing Bailey and his parents find a way to make a tough situation fun after all.“A cozy, comfortable book that will leave youngsters smiling.” —Booklist

    . . . All sorts of people appear in People, linked together in ways that begin to emerge page after page. Real, mythic, and imaginary types inhabit this extraordinary, gorgeously rendered world, referring to each other through form and function. Like Blexbolex's earlier book Seasons, this is a conceptual book, where the connections between the images are both clear and subtle.Stunningly illustrated with retro-looking silkscreened images, People is a sumptuously produced volume, with a lavishly illustrated jacket that folds out into a poster. The manner of the realization and the quality of the book are so strong that People (as did Seasons) serves to reminds us once again what a book can be at its very best.Seasons was a New York Times Best Illustrated Book of 2010 and a Best Book of the Year for School Library Journal.

    Each letter is textured for readers to trace and accompanied by a familiar object that shares its sound.   Written by Bobby and June George, founders of the Baan Dek Montessori School, the Montessori series introduces young readers to key concepts by beginning with the concrete and moving to the abstract. With each book, young readers absorb age-appropriate information and gain a better understanding of the world around them.

    A pine tree grew in the farthest corner of the tree farm on a small patch of land that bordered the train track. The tree loved trains. She loved to watch them ZOOM by on the tracks beside the tree farm. Her branches would ripple in the wind as the trains roared past.But one morning, when a little boy picks her to be his Christmas tree, she is uprooted and brought to a home far from the ZOOMING trains she loves…Beautiful art from Paola Zakimi brings to life this lovely Christmastime tale from Annie Silvestro, perfect for readers who love The Giving Tree and The Velveteen Rabbit.