Children's Notes

Several classic children's tales return to delight new generations of readers. The Two Cars by the distinguished author/illustrator team of Ingri and Edgar Parin d'Aulaire is a modern adaptation of The Tortoise and the Hare, in which safe and courteous driving wins the day. Delicate pencil illustrations and a plot delivered at a pace fit for a turnpike should prove as enchanting to today's automotively inclined children as when the book was first published in 1955. (New York Review Children's Collection, $14.95 32p ages 4-8 ISBN 978-1-59017-234-6; Sept.)

Another standard from the Caldecott Award–winning d'Aulaires, The Terrible Troll-Bird (also first published in 1955), tells how a group of Norwegian villagers defeated the titular avian (effectively a huge rooster intent on stealing livestock) and its owners, a pair of nasty trolls. (New York Review Children's Collection, $15.95 48p ages 4-8 ISBN 978-1-59017-252-0; Sept.)

Hardie Gramatky's 1939 classic about a spunky tugboat who overcomes his fear of the open sea is back in this restored edition of Little Toot. In celebration of the 100th anniversary of Gramatky's birth, this edition uses the artist's original artwork and first editions to restore his watercolors to their original lushness. Previously unpublished sketches round out this finely crafted edition. (Putnam, $17.99 104p ages 4-up ISBN 978-0-399-24713-2; Sept.)

The Backward Day by Ruth Krauss, illus. by Marc Simont, celebrates one boy's revelry as he tries to experience his day backward. With a bold palette, Simont's inky illustrations enchant, as do the youngster's family, whose 1950s primness gives way as they gamely play along with the boy's antics. (New York Review Children's Collection, $14.95 40p ages 4-8 ISBN 978-1-59017-237-7; Sept.)

The Land of Green Ginger by Wizard of Oz screenwriter Noel Langley, illus. by Edward Ardizzone, stars Abu Ali, son of the fabled Aladdin, as he embarks on an adventure teeming with comedy and magic. This long-treasured British classic crosses the Atlantic for the first time in this edition, which also features Ardizzone's delicate pen-and-ink spot art of exotic creatures and locales. (Godine, $10.95 176p ages 8-up ISBN 978-1-56792-333-9; Aug.)

S.E. Hinton's gritty story returns in the hardcover The Outsiders: 40th Anniversary Edition, published with the original cover art. Hinton's first novel, written at the age of 16, has since introduced generations of readers to Ponyboy, a so-called Greaser from the wrong side of the tracks, and the fierce rivalry between the Greasers and the Socs (short for Socials). With more than 13 million copies sold to date, the relevance of this modern classic has not waned. (Viking, $17.99 192p ages 12-up ISBN 978-0-670-06251-5; Sept.)

The Snow Goose by Paul Gallico returns with new illustrations by Angela Barrett. Set in England against the backdrop of WWII and first published in the Saturday Evening Post in 1940, the story centers on the relationship between a British girl and an older recluse as they nurse an injured goose back to health. Gallico's work, exploring friendship, bravery, patriotism and loss, has captivated several generations of readers and inspired two films. (Knopf, $17.99 48p ages 12-up ISBN 978-0-375-84978-7; Sept.)

Janell Cannon's 1993 picture book, Stellaluna, arguably the best-known baby bat story on the children's shelf, appears for the first time in board book. At about 7½” square (with rounded corners), the book comfortably contains the effectively abridged text, but is sturdy enough to withstand toddler-style handling. (Harcourt/Red Wagon, $7.95 42p ages 6 mos.-3 yrs. ISBN 978-0-15-206287-3; Aug.)

The picture book Whoever You Are by Mem Fox, illus. by Leslie Staub, also makes the transition to board book this month. Exploring the differences and similarities between children across the globe, PW wrote, the original portrays a world where “divisions of culture, race and geography fall away in light of a global community where smiles, laughter and tears are universally understood.” (Harcourt/Red Wagon, $6.95 28p ages 6 mos.-3 yrs. ISBN 978-0-15-206066-4; Aug.)

Dino fans will want to sink their teeth into these titles. Arthur Denison and his saurian companion, Bix, first introduced in the bestselling Dinotopia: A Land Apart from Time, are back in James Gurney's Dinotopia: Journey to Chandara. As the duo makes their way toward the forbidden city of Chandara, Gurney's vivid and exquisitely detailed illustrations will likely enchant readers once more. (Andrews McMeel, $19.95 160p all ages ISBN 978-0-7407-6431-8; Sept.)

For kids interested in the world of paleontology comes Dinosaur Dig It! by Jonathan Kronstadt, illus. by Daniel Jankowski and Andrea Morandi. Included in the kit is a booklet that explains how paleontologists do their job and provides information about a number of various creatures, as well as dinosaur game cards, tools and a digging block from which kids can unearth a plastic dinosaur fossil of their own. (Scholastic/Tangerine, $9.99 48p ages 7-up ISBN 978-0-439-92634-8; Oct.)

DK offers dino fans an interactive overview of prehistoric times with Dinosaurium. This oversize board book features 10 clever mini-books (such as a Dino Swatch that reveals different skin textures) set within die-cut holes throughout the text, through which kids can learn about dinosaur anatomy, diets, habitats and more. Vivid digital illustrations and a surfeit of factoids should captivate fans of diplodocus and spinosaurus alike. (DK, $24.99 16p 10 mini-books ages 10-up ISBN 978-0-7566-3206-9; Oct.)

Kids of all stripes—even those masquerading as adults—won't be able to keep their hands off pop-up maestro Ron van der Meer's How Many? Filled with intricately designed, multicolored paper sculptures, each page challenges readers to count shapes of a certain color, hollow shapes, solid shapes, shapes with or without borders, etc.; a Web site lets readers check their answers. (Random/Robin Corey, $24.99 10p ages 7-up ISBN 978-0-375-84226-9; Sept.)

Also with cross-generational appeal, and paper engineer Andy Mansfield team up again for the trapezoidally shaped X-Men Pop-Up, edited by Caroline Repchuck, design and paper engineering by Andy Mansfield, is the second addition to the Marvel Comics True Believers Retro Collection. Adapting original artwork from the classic comics of the '70s and '80s, and featuring arcana about members of the X-Men and such arch villains as the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, this title will entice fans new and old. (Candlewick, $24.99 16p ages 5-up ISBN 978-0-7636-3462-9; Sept.)

Young desperados will be wild with excitement as they leaf (and lift) their way through The Wild West Pop-Up Book by Anton Radevsky. Each page of this expansive pop-up offers detailed historical and cultural information as well as folklore and legend; and a fold-out center spread allows readers to construct a replica of the average frontier town, complete with jailhouse and saloon. Also included, in re-sealable pouches: stand-alone paper models of methods of transportation as well as a cowboy and his horse. (Sterling, $29.95 8p ages 8-12; ISBN 978-1-4027-4628-4; Sept.)

A follow-up to David A. Carter's One Red Dot and Blue 2, 600 Black Spots serves as a visual scavenger hunt. Kids will stay on their toes, searching for the many black spots that adorn the abstract art pop-ups. Using only primary colors, white, and black, Carter pairs each paper sculpture with a short piece of poetry and the relevant number of black spots (“Mondrian floats with shadows and 60 black spots”), creating a visually thrilling and mentally stimulating journey. (Little Simon, $19.99 20p ages 3-up ISBN 978-1-4169-4092-0; Sept.)

For preschoolers, two new titles in the Pop-Out Surprise Book series reinforce favorite lessons. Giant Pop-Out Shapes features a variety of familiar and similarly shaped objects on a page (a wheel, a clock, a button) and ask children to guess what (oversize) shape will unfold when they open the flap that covers the facing page. Giant Pop-Out Vehicles follows a similar format, and uses photographs for its “pop-outs.” (Chronicle, $10.95 ea, 12p ea ages 2-4 ISBN 978-0-8118-5921-9; 978-0-8118-5953-0; Sept.)

How to Be a Good Dog Gail Page. Bloomsbury, $6.95 ISBN 978-1-59990-151-0. Cat secretly works to teach Bobo the dog some good manners before he is relegated to the doghouse once again. Page's debut, wrote PW, “closely resembles Daniel Pinkwater's 'bad bears' picture books.” Ages 3-8. (Sept.)

The Champ: The Story of Muhammad Ali Tonya Bolden, illus. by R. Gregory Christie. Random/Dragonfly, $6.99 ISBN 978-0-440-41782-8. “In this impressionistic tribute to the man born as Cassius Clay, Bolden shapes a poetic if awkwardly paced narrative that includes self-assured quotes by the fighter, often in his famous couplets, and features type of various fonts, colors and sizes,” said PW. Christie's strongest portraits of Ali “convey his intelligence, intensity and impressive physique.” Ages 5-8. (Sept.)

Nate the Great Talks Turkey Marjorie Weinman Sharmat and Mitchell Sharmat, illus. by Jody Wheeler. Yearling, $4.50 ISBN 978-0-440-42126-9. The junior detective and his cousin Olivia hunt for a giant turkey on the loose. Ages 6-9. (Aug.)

Safe at Home Sharon Robinson. Scholastic, $4.99 ISBN 978-0-439-67198-9. When 10-year-old Jumper's father dies, his mother moves the family from the suburbs to Harlem, where the boy ends up at summer baseball camp. “Readers will happily stick with these characters, and baseball fans will appreciate the play-by-play account of on-diamond action,” said PW. Ages 9-12. (Sept.)

The Time Travelers Linda Buckley-Archer. Aladdin, $7.99 ISBN 978-1-4169-1526-3. “Debut author Buckley-Archer brings the England of King George III to life with ample (and often gruesome) period detail,” wrote PW about this first book in the Gideon Trilogy, first published as Gideon the Cutpurse. Ages 9-13. (Sept.)

Beautiful City of the Dead Leander Watts. Houghton/Graphia, $7.99 ISBN 978-0-618-59499-3. Teenage Zee joins her classmate's band only to discover that she is actually a water god wanted by a variety of other elemental deities. PW wrote, “Watts's novel moves quickly and makes numerous references to 1970s rock bands.” Ages 12-up. (Sept.)

Wait for Me An Na. Penguin/Speak, $7.99 ISBN 978-0-14-240918-3. “Na delivers a powerful novel about the pressures of parental expectations and how secrets can tear a family apart,” said PW of this story centered on a Korean-American girl. Ages 12-up. (Sept.)

The Death Collector Justin Richards. Bloomsbury, $7.95 ISBN 978-1-59990-148-0. PW wrote, “Richards makes a strong showing in this haunting story set in Victorian London, where a 14-year-old pickpocket, a young horologist at the British Museum and a clergyman's daughter with a taste for theatrics join forces to thwart a mad industrialist's attempts to reanimate the dead.” Ages 12-up. (Sept.)

Specials Scott Westerfeld. Simon Pulse, $9.99 ISBN 978-1-4169-4795-0. This installment of the Uglies series finds 16-year-old Tally fully programmed to be an elite governmental fighting machine. But when she is ordered to destroy a New Smoke rebel settlement, Tally is caught between a remnant of her humanity and her mission as a Special. Ages 12-up. (Sept.)