THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, December 12, 1995 TAG: 9512090091
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY BARABARA BURNS, SPECIAL TO THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
LENGTH: Medium: 74 lines
GIFT GIVING for that favorite youngster on your list has never been easier with the number of excellent books published for children this year.
Handsome story collections, beautiful poetry and picture books along with informative non-fiction crowd the shelves in book stores all over the area.
Here are some suggestions:
A tender bedtime story for ages 3 and up that expresses the immeasurable love between parent and child is ``Guess How Much I Love You'' (Candlewick, $13.95). Susan McBratney's story is about Little Nutbrown Hare, who loves Big Nutbrown Hare all the way up to his toes. Soon the little hare discovers that his father loves him even more than he can comprehend. Delightful watercolors by Anita Jeram are an added treat to this enchanting book, which captures a deep, loving family bond.
On a lighter note, a poetry collection that is bound to get kids giggling is ``For Laughing Out Louder: More Poems to Tickle Your Funny Bone'' (Knopf, $15). The companion volume, ``Laughing Out Loud: Poems to Tickle Your Funny Bone,'' was such a success that Jack Prelutsky has again provided a number of humorous poems that will continue to delight his readers. Once more, Marjorie Priceman's hilarious illustrations do the trick. Fortunately, fans of the first book begged for more.
From the Newberry medalist and author of the best selling ``The People Could Fly'' and ``In the Beginning'' comes a remarkable new story collection for ages 6 and older that celebrates African-American women. ``Her Stories: African American Folktales, Fairy Tales, and True Tales'' (Scholastic/Blue Sky Press, $19.95) by Virginia Hamilton is a unique collection of 19 stories about strong, competent women from myth, legend and ordinary walks of life who represent a full range of the African-American experience. Caldecott medalists Leo and Diane Dillon add even greater depth to this extraordinary work with their lavish illustrations.
The Stinky Cheese Men are back just in time for holiday gift-giving in perhaps their most creative effort yet. ``The Math Curse'' (Viking, $16.99) is by the wacky duo John Scieszka and Lane Smith, author and illustrator of ``The True Story of the Three Little Pigs and the Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales.'' A young girl is told in math class that she can think of almost everything as a math problem. She immediately begins to have problems! Throughout the school day she encounters puzzling math challenges that make her realize she is the victim of a math curse. What to do? How she breaks the curse is pure entertainment for ages 6 to 99.
A Bible story collection makes a marvelous addition to a child's library. ``Ten Tales From the Old and New Testaments'' (Dial, $15.99) is wonderfully inviting. British writer Georgie Adams retells 10 ancient Jewish and Christian tales, including ``Noah's Ark,'' ``Moses in the Bulrushes,'' ``David and Goliath,'' ``The First Christmas,'' ``The Good Samaritan'' and ``The Story of the Loaves and the Fishes.'' Her read-aloud style teams up with whimsical illustrations by Peter Utton to make this an extremely appealing book for ages 4 and up.
More than two years ago, William Bennett's ``Book of Virtues'' was published and has been on the best-seller list ever since. Simon & Schuster responded this fall with ``The Children's Book of Virtues'' (Simon & Schuster, $20) for ages 4 to 8. This companion volume in picture-book format includes selections from Aesop, Brothers Grimm, Hans Christian Anderson and the Bible. The stories have been especially chosen for inspiring lessons in honesty, compassion, loyalty, faith and friendship. Michael Hague's illustrations are the perfect accompaniment to this soon-to-be classic. ILLUSTRATION: [Color book jackets]
by CNB