“MAGRITTE’S MARVELOUS HAT,” by D. B. Johnson, Houghton Mifflin, Hardback, April 17, 2012, $16.99 (ages 4 and up) Rene Magritte is known for his surrealist paintings. He was also known for a bowler hat. In “Magritte’s Marvelous Hat,” author/illustrator D.B. Johnson brings Magritte to life in the form of a dog. One day, Magritte sees…

“It’s a Big World, Little Pig!” by Kristi Yamaguchi, Sourcebooks Jabberwocky, Hardcover, March 6, 2012, $16.99 (ages 4 and up) Poppy the ice skating pig is back, and she’s just as charming as she was a year ago. The creation of Olympic gold medalist Kristi Yamaguchi, Poppy is a persistent pig who, through a lot…

“HOW DALIA PUT A BIG YELLOW COMFORTER INSIDE A TINY BLUE BOX,” by Linda Heller, illustrated by Stacey Dressen McQueen, Tricycle Press, August 23, 2011, $16.99 (ages 4 and up) Dalia loves the community center.  She loves making things.  She loves learning about things.  So, when her teacher tells the class about tzedakah boxes, Dalia…

“ONE LITTLE CHICKEN,” by Elka Weber, illustrated by Elisa Kleven, Tricycle Press, Aug. 9, 2011, $16.99 (ages 4 and up) Leora’s family is poor and they all work hard to keep food on the table and a roof over their heads.  When one little chicken wanders into their yard, Leora is excited by all the…

“11 EXPERIMENTS THAT FAILED,” by Jenny Offill, illustrated by Nancy Carpenter, Schwartz & Wade, September 27, 2011, $16.99 (ages 4 and up) Looking for a dangerous book to hand off to your adventurous and curious child?  “11 Experiments that Failed” is the book for you! This book immediately caught the attention of my 6-year-old when…

If you’re anything like me, you’ve been holding on to returns and gift cards in hopes of avoiding the massive crowds that seemed to come out of nowhere this holiday season. You may be hoping to cash in on some new releases, and I can’t blame you. But if you’re still not sure what to…

“THE CHRISTMAS SNOWMAN,” by Margery Cuyler, illustrated by Johanna Westerman, Sky Pony Press, Oct. 1, 2011, $12.95 (ages 4 and up) Christmas is just around the corner and Kevin and Sally are helping put the finishing touches on their family Christmas decorations. But the two are tired of being inside and decide it’s time to…

“RAZZLE-DAZZLE RUBY,” by Masha D’yans, Scholastic Press, Oct. 1, 2011, $17.99 (ages 4 and up) Ruby wakes up to a sparkling world of snow. With her dog, Rocket, Ruby ventures out into a winter wonderland where she becomes a queen and Rocket, her knight in barking armor. Every fairy tale needs a villain, and in…

“AUNTIE CLAUS AND THE KEY TO CHRISTMAS,” by Elise Primavera, Sept. 27, 2011, Sandpiper, paperback edition $7.99 (ages 4 and up) Readers who are already fans of the Auntie Claus books will be happy to learn that “Auntie Claus and the Key to Christmas” is now available in paperback. For those of you new to…

“THE PERFECT CHRISTMAS,” by Eileen Spinelli, illustrated by JoAnn Adinolfi, Henry Holt and Company for Young Readers, Oct. 25, 2011, $16.99 (ages 4 and up) Eileen Spinelli and illustrator JoAnn Adinolfi, celebrate different Christmas traditions in their book, “The Perfect Christmas.” Two families living right next to each other might as well be light years…