Ahmed and the Oblivion Machines by Ray Bradbury , Illustrated by Chris Lane Avon Books, December 1998 Hardcover, 30 pages ISBN: 0380977044. Ahmed, a young boy, is dying of thirst in the desert after having lost his father and caravan. Crying for the loss of his father and his future, Ahmed's tears land on the statue of a God buried beneath the sand, which, to his astonishment, comes to life. The God, Gonn-Ben-Allah, relieved to be awakened from thousands of years of slumber, tells Ahmed he is the one he has been waiting for, and they must go on a journey. Gonn-Ben-Allah shows Ahmed the history of flying through visions as Ahmed and the Gonn-Ben-Allah fly through time. Gonn-Ben-Allah shows Ahmed man's failures in flight throughout time including the wings of Icarus which were held together by wax that melted in the sun, young men who build wings and fall to their death and other early attempts at flight that end in disaster -- however, all these brave attempts eventually led to mankind's success. After telling his tale and teaching Ahmed the values of human exploration and discovery, Gonn-Ben-Allah leaves Ahmed, who finds his father and begins dreaming of his own future, envisioning himself inventing an aircraft of his own.

Cow Moo Me by Stephen Losordo , Illustrated by Jane Conteh-Morgan Harper Growing Tree , September 1998. Board Book, 14 pages. Reading Level: Baby through Preschool ISBN: 0694011088. Cow Moo Me is a charming board book full of rhyming words about a series of animals and their functions in life. The book opens with the nonsense rhyme, "Cow moo me/cow moo you/ cow moo milk/cow moo moo/." The rhymes are accompanied by coloured collage paper cut out illustrations which give the pages a colourful, silly and happy appearance. The joyful pink pig lolling in a mud puddle is especially funny and should appeal to very young children.

A Handful of Beans by Jeanne Steig , Pictures by William Steig Michael di Capua Books , October 1998. Hardcover, 141 pages. Reading Level: Ages 4-8 ISBN: 0062051628. A Handful of Beans is a collection of six classic fairy tales ("Rumpelstiltskin," "Beauty and the Beast," "Hansel and Gretel," "Little Red Riding Hood," "The Frog Prince," and "Jack and the Beanstalk") retold with the original tales intact, but with some additional wit and humour, William Steig's humourous illustrations, and a wonderful little rhyming couplet at the end of the tale which comments on the previous story. After Rumplstiltskin's demise, the author comments: " Is it wicked to smile?/Well, the villain was vile./And as for the King,/Rapacious old thing,/ He got all the loot./And a princess to boot!/" Why buy yet another version of the classic fairy tales? Well, because this version is fresh, funny and has wonderful silly verse which only adds to the enjoyment of the classic tales. The Frog Prince teaches a valuable lesson about keeping one's promises, and the expression on the Princess's face when forced to keep her promise to befriend the frog after he finds her golden ball is priceless. A wonderful retelling of the classic fairy tales which is sure to enchant both adults and children alike.

Life With Bob by William Joyce Laura Geringer Books , October 1998. Board Book, 20 pages. Reading Level: Baby through Preschool. ISBN: 0694011819. The charming Dinosaur Bob is back in another board book adventure which has been adapted from the original, lengthier book by talented children's author and illustrator, William Joyce. Bob, the giant green dinosaur -- a friendly looking brontosaurus -- is living happily with his adopted family, the Lazardos. They paint pictures, they go to school, they read books after school with friends, and play games like hide and seek. One day, Bob decides to join some friendly dogs in a game of chasing cars -- a big mistake. Bob actually catches one! (No one is hurt, though). This incident makes everyone extremely unhappy, including the local constabulary. But Bob, a likeable soul, promises never to chase cars again and happiness is restored to Bob, his family and the town. Dinosaur Bob is a wonderful invention which children will love. Much more appealing than television's Barney, Bob is a joy to watch. The illustrations will appeal to children, with their vivid colour, friendly dinosaur and whimsical tone. Set in a time period reminiscent of the 1930s, the pictures will captivate parents as well with their sense of humour and period detail. A wonderful introduction to the world of Dinosaur Bob for toddlers.

Today I Feel Silly and Other Moods That Make My Day by Jamie Lee Curtis , Illustrated by Laura Cornell. Joanna Cotler Books , 1998. Picture Book, 32 pages. ISBN: 0060245603. Popular actress Jamie Lee Curtis and artist Laura Cornell have teamed up again to continue the wonderful children's series started with Tell Me Again About the Night I Was Born. Today I Feel Silly is a picture book which teaches children about the different moods they may feel, with a catchy rhyming text and vivid, colourful illustrations that are sure to captivate children's attention. "Today I feel silly/ Mom says it's the heat/I put rouge on the cat and gloves on my feet/" Later on, the moods turn darker: "Today I am angry./ You'd better stay clear./ My face is all pinched and red ear to ear." The message at the end of the book is clear; emotions are natural and are nothing to be afraid of. At the end of the book is a Mood Wheel, where the child can dial up different emotions picking different mouths and eyes to put on the pictured face. This book is an excellent tool for a teacher or parent to use to explain about why we feel the way we do, and then to explain what is an appropriate way to express the myriad of feelings the child will feel in his/her life. With the vivid illustrations and silly, fun rhymes, this is one book that your child will want to read again and again.