The Boss Baby, Marla Frazee (Beach Lane, ages 4-adult)
Witness the humorous tyranny of a difficult boss that all new parents will understand.
Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes, Eric Litwin (Harper, ages 2-5)
Color concepts and optimism blend in the singy story of a cat who shows children and adults that life is “all good”.
The Cow Loves Cookies, Karma Wilson (McElderry, ages 3-6)
This rhyming cumulative story of farm animals’ food preferences end in a curious refrain “the cow loves cookies”. All is explained in the warm, humorous ending.
Knuffle Bunny Free: An Unexpected Diversion, Mo Willems (Hyperion, 2010, ages 3-6)
Third in the series of Trixie stories finds poor Knuffle Bunny lost in transit when the family travels to Holland. Adventures of both our heroes make for humor and a wide range of emotions.
Piggy Pie Po, Audrey and Don Wood (Harcourt, ages 2-5)
Once again the Woods show their mastery of rhyme, rhythm and humor in three short stories of silly piggy.
Seven Hungry Babies, Candace Fleming (Atheneum, ages 3-6)
Rhythm, rhyme and word play abound as seven new babies challenge their dedicated food-searching mother.
Potty, Leslie Patricelli (Candlewick, ages 18 months and up)
If there’s one thing parents need when toilet training, it’s humor and this book has it in abundance as the one-haired, diaper-clad toddler guides fellows the pitfalls and triumphs.
City Dog, Country Frog, Mo Willems (Hyperion, 2010, ages 4-adult)
Willems’ seemingly simple story of friendship between dog and frog will please young story lovers though parents may tear at the cyclical depiction of life. Both audiences will be awed by illustrator Jon Muth’s extraordinary depictions.
How to Clean Your Room in 10 Easy Steps, Jennifer LaRue Huget (Schwartz&Wade, 2010, ages 4-8)
Children who have been forced to clean their rooms will find revenge in the humor of a rebellious girl who’s genius is in sarcasm rather than housekeeping. You can rely on this book to relieve tension.
The Sandwich Swap, Queen Rania Abdullah (Hyperion, 2010, ages 4-8)
A first-look at prejudice comes when two girls from differing cultures face relationship difficulties because of their sandwiches.
Shark vs. Train, Chris Barton (Little Brown, 2010, ages 4-7)
Two small boys pit their play toys in a series of competitions based on settings. Lots of humor and lots of imagining.
The Quiet Book by Deborah Underwood (Houghton, 2010, ages 4-7)
Illustrations show the many faces of quiet. The text and illustrations are soft views of the many moods of quiet.
Back of the Bus, Aaron Reynolds (Philomel, ages 7-10)
A small boy taking a Montgomery bus on a winter’s day has his focus on his shiny, bright marble that shines like “a big ol’ tiger’s eye” and through his eyes readers view Rosa Park. The poetry and details enrich the telling of this historical event.
The Blue House Dog, Deborah Blumenthal (Peachtree,2010, ages 6-9)
Lyrical story of a sad boy and stray dog who find each other and recover from grief from the loss of their best friends.
The Heart and the Bottle, Oliver Jeffers (Philomel, 2010, ages 9-adult)
Pictures and text combine to tell the metaphorical story of a young girl who suffers a devastating loss, protects her heart in a bottle and spends years breaking out. Haunting in symbolism and story, this is the perfect book for adults who haven’t grown up.
Jeannie Baker, Mirror (Candlewick)
Open this book and open worlds—two opposing, parallel books picture the polar opposite, but interrelated worlds of an Australian and Moroccan boy.
Bones, Steve Jenkins (Scholastic, ages 6-10)
The author-illustrator turns his talents to describing bones and functions, comparing skeletons of all kinds of animals, all with play and visual strength.
How to Clean a Hippopotamus: A Look at Unusual Animal Partnerships, Steve Jenkins and Robin Page (Houghton, ages 5-10)
Animal partners on air, sea and land make for surprising reading and Jenkins’ collages make great up-close viewing for all these strange relationships.
Lizards, Nic Bishop (Scholastic, ages 5-9)
Once again the writer-photographer stuns readers with this fascinating new subject.
Orangutans are ticklish: fun facts from an animal photographer, Steve Grubman with Jill Davis (Random, ages 5-19)
Play is shown in illustrations combined with intriguing facts and stories of photo difficulties.
Jimi Sounds Like a Rainbow, Gary Golio (Clarion, ages 7-10)
Vivid art and sensory descriptions track the musician’s path from poverty to painting with sound.
All Star! Honus Wagner and the Most Famous Baseball Card Ever, Jane Yolen (Philomel, 2010, ages 6-10
The author creates such a powerful picture that you can’t help but admire the baseball player who made history because of his famous baseball card. This tale accents instead his integrity and determination.
Kubla Kahn, The Emperor of Everything, Kathleen Krull (Viking, ages 8-11)
This engaging biography of the famous Mongolian ruler makes long-ago times and far-away worlds captivating.
Sit-In: How Four Friends Stood Up By Sitting Down by Andrea Davis Pinkey (Little Brown, 2010, ages 6-10)
The story of the Woolworth’s lunch counter sit-in is told with verve of text and illustration, making both the Civil Rights event and those who participated understandable, accessible and discussion rich for today’s children.
Stand Straight, Ella Kate: the true story of a real giant, Kate Klise (Dial, 2010, ages 6-10)
Though fictionalized, this biography is based on the amazing life of Ella Kate Ewing, a woman who turned mockery of her size into an opportunity for travel, fame and more riches that women of her era usually possessed.
Little Red Riding Hood , adapted and illustrated by Gennady Spirin (Marshall Cavendish, 2010, ages 5-8)
A simple retelling and lavish illustrations reminiscent of Flemish masters revive the classic early tale.
Mirror, Mirror: A Book of Reversible Verse , Marilyn Singer (Putnam, 2010, ages 6-10)
The author makes poems of classic fairy tales then presents them again in reverse order, to invite an intriguing new look at traditional stories, poetic forms and word sequencing.
Snow White, illustrated by Charles Santore (Sterling, ages 7-10)
Lush colors and careful detailing accompany this classic telling.
The Klutz Book of Inventions, John Cassidy & Brendan Boyle (Klutz, ages 10 and up)
For the humor-lover on your list, bizarre illustrations, silly ideas and wacky write-ups show over a hundred inventions from the PogoPlunger to Soundproof Underwear.