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Favorite picture books for reading outloud: The true story of the 3 little pigs / by A. Wolf ; as told to Jon Schieszka ; illustrated by Lane Smith. is a good one.

I'm not sure what the actaul age range is on these, but I truly loved them as a child when they were read to me...I think I must have been between 5 and 7... Any Roald Dahl books (a few have recently become movies), but especially "The BFG" which is full of funny words and an excellent young female heroine. As a note, Dahl books are sometimes a bit darker than most children's books ("The Twits" is a good example) so a pre-reading might be necessary sometimes. Also, the "Frog and Toad" books. And "The Water Babies," the author of which I can't remember. My grandmother had a richly illustrated hardback version of that. I used to sit and stare at the cover and imagine myself in that world. We also read and loved "The Wind in the Willows" and "Watership Down." Happy reading!

We enjoyed all of the books in the Dorrie series by Patricia Coombs -- they are story books about a little girl and her mom, who both happen to be (good) witches, and their cook and cat. The little girl always wears socks that don't match, and the introduction to each book very lyrically describes this fact, and others.

Other favorites that remain on our shelf, and which we have enjoyed for years (Kate is now 8): How to Make Apple Pie and See the World The Paper Princess, by Elisa Kleven (*wonderful* Albany artist!!)

"A little girl sat in the sunshine, drawing a princess. The princess's dress was like a forest. Her socks were like starry skies. Her shoes were watermelons. Her face was so friendly and brave that the little girl loved her."

The Dream Pillow The Artist Who Loved Chickens (he loved to *paint* them, an odd, lovely story) and then, segue into anything by Sid Fleishman (I especially liked "By the Great Horn Spoon" which is a fanciful tale about the gold rush). The Sid Fleishman books are chapter books, but are great read-aloud books for kids who would prefer their chapter stories that way...and are fun for kids to read themselves once they acquire that level of skill.

My favorite chapter books:
* Ramona The Pest, Beverly Cleary -- relates the adventures of a precocious 5 yea r old starting kindergarden. Last fall I recommended it to 2 families with kids entering kindergarden and was thanked profusely. All the Cleary books are great, but this one is particularly excellent.
* Mrs. Piggle Wiggle, Betty MacDonald (I think) -- even though written 50 years a go, this is a true classic. Mrs. Piggle Wiggle comes up with ingenious cures for kid s who don't want to bathe, eat, share, etc. Has humor for the adults as well.
* From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, E.L. Konigsburg -- one of my all-time favorite books and author. Two kids run away from home with their cloth es in their instrument cases and live in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where they get involved in a great art history mystery.

A book that appeals to the 2 to 5 year-old-age range, as well as the adults who read to them is All About Alfie by Shirley Hughes. The illustrations are Norman Rockwellesque and the four stories are a real delight. Check it out at the library.

Book Recommendation: While attending a recent lecture with education specialist Bev Bos, she recommended the book "Tough Boris" by Mem Fox. It is the story of a tough, fearless, massive pirate named Boris who becomes very sad when his pet parrot dies. The narrative is very simple and kids of many ages and developmental levels can exercise quite a lot of imagination as they interpret the story according to their own needs. My three-year-old son and five-year-old daughter love this book and refer to it often throughout the day.