For all the anklebiters . . .

We all know that I love the teen books, but wee ones deserve good stuff too. So here are some new things for the younger crowd:


Go Bugs Go! by Jessica Spanyol
This book is (obviously) about bugs on the go--in cars, planes, trains, and all manner of things that move quickly and make noise. In addition to the universal boy-appeal of the subject, the illustrations feature bugs so cute I want to squeal. They are like little jelly beans with legs and wings and happy expressions.


Hippo! No, Rhino by Jeff Newman
The zookeeper has made a horrible mistake, and now everyone thinks that hippo is a rhino--no matter how often he tries to convince them otherwise. With plenty of fun rhyming wordplay, bright colors, and creative use of typeface, I think this book will be a hit.


Cowboy Ned and Andy by David E. S. Stein
It's almost Cowboy Ned's birthday and his equine companion, Andy, wants to be sure to give him the perfect gift. All the reviews talk about how wonderfully and expressively Andy is illustrated, and if the one interior illustration I saw is any indication, the talk is justified.



Bud and Gabby by Anne Davis
I'm not overly fond of cats--or books about cats--but I'm willing to make an exception in this case. The story of big, bossy Bud and his kitten companion first drew me in with this line from the Kirkus review: "Gabby is taken to the vet, and Bud doesn't know what to do with himself. He over-grooms and gets a hairball." Hee hee! Who among us has not done the human equivalent of that? But once I took a closer look at the slightly goofy cover art, I was hooked.



Henrietta, There's No One Better by Martine Murray
Okay . . . I will admit it. I fell in love with the heroine of this book before reading a single word about it, merely because she appears on the cover with a pair of underpants on her head. Happy as a clam with underpants on her head. Once I found out that she's a fiesty, creative, talkative oddball who can turn a phrase with the best of them, I was a goner. She may even replace Junie B. Jones as my favorite kooky kid.



Barbie Hit Mix 2 by Various Artists
OH MY WORD!!!!!!!! IT'S ANOTHER BARBIE CD!!!!!!!!
Barbie and her friends remake such popular songs as "Hollaback Girl" and others that I'm not even cool enough to know. This will fly off your shelves. You will beg me to buy more. Your patrons will shriek with delight. You will be a hero to them for having it. Yeah baby . . . it's everything that little girls love all rolled into one. Maybe I'll glue shiny paper or jewels onto the case . . . but no . . . there would be ecstatic fainting if I did that.