A Book by Mordicai Gerstein

Attention all you huge blobby things that look something like a face (aka readers), A Book finally gives readers and listeners the inside scoop on what really happens to book characters between the pages. (When the book is closed, it's dark and they go to sleep.) Told from the perspective of a young girl who is trying to find her story, this book is a lively jaunt through various genres (whether it's a landlubber visit to a pirate ship or a science fiction exploration of the stars) combined with witty visits by classic characters (the prince just guaranteeing you'll turn into a princess if you try on the glass slipper). The story line is clever, the illustrations only get better with more readings (uncovering new references each time) and it's just a lot of fun to read over and over again. 48 pages.

One Hundred Angry Ants by Elinor J. Pinczes

One Hundred Hungry Ants are not what I would want to see trooping to my picnic. But my daughter is fascinated by ants right now - the way that they go about their business despite a giant of a 4 year old looking down on them. Combine that with the number 100, a very large number, indeed, when your day is filled more with single digits, and you've got the mix for an attention-getting story. Under the direction of the littlest ant, the troop of busy brown insects reconfigure themselves in different ways (2 lines of 50, 4 lines of 25) in their hurry to get to the picnic food before it's all gone. The story is a quick little jaunt through ant life and the various configurations of 100. Thanks to the MIT Coop for this entertaining suggestion. 32 pages.