Silly Salutations of the Season

Once again, while compiling these listings we were on the lookout for books that grabbed our attention for one reason or another—whether leaving us scratching our heads or chuckling. In a playful spirit, we herewith bestow the following awards:

Book Most Likely to Make Shakespeare Groan from the Grave: Romeow & Drooliet by Nina Laden, in which the star-crossed lovers—a feline hero and canine heroine—meet by chance, marry in secret and are kept apart by appalled owners, a snarling Rottweiler and the animal control warden. (Chronicle)

Picture Book Most Apt to Make Kids Think Twice Before Biting into Their Veggies: Coco the Carrot by Steven Salerno, the tale of a carrot who escapes from a cramped vegetable bin, fashions herself a green hat and hops a cruise ship to Paris, where she becomes an internationally famous chapeau designer. (Marshall Cavendish)

Book That Most Convincingly Suggests That Fairytale Spinoffs Should Come to a (Split) End: Cindy Big Hair: A Twisted (and Teased & Braided) Cinderella Story by Annie Auerbach, illus. by David Maxley, a "pop-up hairytale" in which Cindy's Hairy Godmother grants her wish to attend the Big Hair Ball. (Piggy Toes Press/Intervisual)

Title Most Apt to Encourage Less-Than-Silent Activity at the Dinner Table: Borya and the Burps: An Eastern European Adoption Story by Jane McNamara, illus. by Dawn Majewski, the story of baby boy with a talent for making magnificent burps. (Perspectives Press)

Book Whose Title Has the Most Ambiguous Connection to the Name of Its Series: Lenny Loses His Lunch by Dan Taylor and Damion Taylor, an addition to the God Can Use Me series. (Kregel/Kidzone)

Picture Book Plot with the Greatest Potentially Elephantine Humor: Looking After Little Ellie by Dosh and Mike Archer, which recounts the mayhem and mishaps that result when decidedly diminutive mice agree to baby sit for a largeyoung elephant. (Bloomsbury)

Series Most Likely to Make Kids Watch Their Step While Hiking: Who Pooped in the Park?, in which a family explores various National Parks and tries to determine which animal left which droppings and tracks. (Farcountry Press)

Books That Best Underscore the Pervasiveness of Fast Food in Kids' Lives: Klutz-to-Go: Books in a Cup, billed as "the best thing to happen to the back seat since super-sized sodas." These cups filled with activity books, pencil and stickers come in orange and lime flavors andfit in a car cup holder. (Klutz)

Book That Younger Sisters Who Live in Fear Will Most Want to Read: My Big Sister Is So Bossy She Says You Can't Read This Book by Mary Hershey (Random/Lamb)