Happy Anniversary!

Leading a trio of titles with milestone celebrations, Bunnicula 25th Anniversary Edition by Deborah and James Howe, illus. by Alan Daniel, boasts a new foreword by James Howe to commemorate the 1979 publication of the tale starring a rabbit suspected of vegetable vampirism, narrated by the family dog. (S&S/Atheneum, $16.95 112p ages 8-12 ISBN 0-689-86775-1; Sept.) Honoring its 40th anniversary, the Caldecott Honor book, A Pocketful of Cricket by Rebecca Caudill, illus. by Evaline Ness, is back, starring six-year-old Jay who meanders through the countryside and finds striped beans that "felt cool—like morning," an arrowhead and a cricket that he brings home, among other treasures. Caudill's gentle sentences pair well with Ness's charming vintage scenes in mustard, red, avocado and black inks. (Holt, $18.95 48p ages 5-8 ISBN 0-8050-7524-0; Sept.)

Miss Suzy: 40th Anniversary Edition by Miriam Young, illus. by Arnold Lobel, celebrates this tale's reissue. Miss Suzy, a gray squirrel, lives "in the tip, tip, top of a tall oak tree"—until a throng of mean red squirrels displaces her. She retreats to a dollhouse and meets some toy soldiers who help her reclaim her house. Lobel's pen-and-ink drawings with a burgundy wash alternate with full-color pictures in hues bold and rich or delicate and ethereal. (Purple House [859-235-9970], $17.95 44p ages 3-8 ISBN 1-930900-28-7; Aug.)

Past Favorites

Previously released titles are brought to new life. Mary Middling and Other Silly Folk: Nursery Rhymes and Nonsense Poems takes poems first published in the U.S. in 1932 as Fifty-One New Nursery Rhymes by Rose Fyleman and adorns them with new illustrations by Katja Bandlow. The artist outlines the pictures with Chinese ink then colors them in digitally, yet preserves a somewhat nostalgic look. For "Rather Silly" ("There once was a man with a queer sort of notion/ You could always be happy by keeping in motion"), she depicts a double-decker bus on cobblestone streets. (Clarion, $16 28p ages 4-7 ISBN 0-618-38141-4; Sept.)

Mary Stolz's Emmett's Pig (1959), illus. by Garth Williams, part of the I Can Read Book series, now appears with the addition of Rosemary Wells's watercolor wash in gently muted hues. (HarperCollins, $15.99 64p ages 4-8 ISBN 0-06-059712-7; Sept.)

Two Jan Thornhill primers published in the late 1980s unite in the paper-over-board The Wildlife ABC & 123: A Nature Alphabet & Counting Book. Her iconic portraits combine with rhyming couplets in the first, and the numeral plus a brief description for the latter (the "Queen Bee" illustration for "Q" features a honeycomb border that details a bee's larval development). The counting portion ultimately leaps up to 1,000 tadpoles. PW said, "Her flamboyant drawings have the bold vibrancy of woodcuts." (Maple Tree [PGW, dist.], $16.95 64p ISBN 1-897066-09-0; Sept.)

Lois Ehlert's Hands: Growing Up to Be an Artist (1997) returns with slightly reworked trimmings, but keeps the same die-cut pages—in the shapes of scissors, seed packets and more—as well as a "paint box" that opens. PW said of the original, "Ehlert works visual magic in showing how an artist's creativity flows through the hands." (Harcourt, $14.95 48p all ages ISBN 0-15-205107-4; Sept.)

Contrary to the title, the paper-over-board ALittle Golden Book Collection: Animal Tales is quite a meaty package, containing a baker's dozen classics, such as "The Kitten Who Thought He Was a Mouse," "Home for a Bunny" and "Tawny Scrawny Lion." The tales appear with their original illustrations and feature gold-leaf trim along the pages' edges. (Random/Golden, $8.95 144p ages 6-8 ISBN 0-375-83128-2; Sept.)

American Girl Alert

From Atlantic to Pacific, girls should fall for these autumn releases. With advice for mind, body and spirit, Real Beauty: 101 Ways to Feel Great About You by Therese Kauchak, illus. by Carol Yoshizumi, counters the body and health ideals set forth by the media and pop culture. Tips (which include several "Big Truths") range from "watch your serving sizes the next time you eat out" to "recognize stereotypes for what they are—uninformed judgements." (Pleasant/American Girl, $9.95 paper 120p ages 8-up ISBN 1-58485-908-3; Sept.)

A veritable studio of ideas, Sticker Art includes a paperback book of projects, 42 pages of stickers, and a covered transparent well of googley eyes, rhinestones and purple cord that shows through the die-cut, cardstock cover. Crafts include "Cut Flowers," a funky vase full of flower-shaped stickers (with sturdy backing) mounted on pipecleaner stems, and "Show Globes," shiny, glitzy ornaments adorned with snowflake stickers for holiday gifts. (Pleasant/American Girl, $19.95 40p ages 8-up ISBN 1-58485-910-5; Sept.)

Girls can turn bedrooms into boudoirs with the spiralbound Room Crafts: Add Some Simple Style to Your Space. With five room themes—"warm & fuzzy," "cool & casual" and "hip & happenin'," among others— these pages offer ideas that include slicing up shower curtains to make drapes and fashioning a funky fabric headboard with batting and heavy cardboard. (Pleasant/American Girl, $9.95 64p ages 8-up ISBN 1-58485-911-3; Sept.)

What a Girl Loves: Puzzle Book by Trula Magruder, illus. by Tracey Wood, helps keep girls' minds sharp for the new school year. Boasting thematic crosswords, word searches, logic games and more, from "America" to "Zoos," this spiralbound title should provide hours of brain-teasing fun. A concluding answer key aids puzzlers on the real toughies. (Pleasant/American Girl, $7.95 128p ages 8-up ISBN 1-58485-909-1; Sept.)

Full of treats fits for a human, the canine Coconut's Cookbook: Fun and Fluffy Treats to Eat serves up simple sweets, some of which call for white, fluffy coconut (note the lowercase). The handsize hardcover also includes a stencil of the perky puppy's mug for use on the "Coconut Face Cake." Eight perforated recipe cards make room for future culinary experiments. (Pleasant/American Girl, $7.95 56p ages 8-up ISBN 1-58485-892-3; Sept.)

Fun, By Nature

New nonfiction interactive and picture books tap into kids' curiosities about their world. My Nature Book: A Journal and Activity Book for Kids by Linda Kranz opens with "Tips for Journal Writers" then suggests numerous activities (including recipes and crafts) and thought-provoking questions to engage children's imaginations. Colorful text and spot illustrations brighten the pages, which leave plenty of room for written and artistic exercises. (NorthWord [815-254-7383], $12.95 paper 128p ages 6-12 ISBN 1-55971-893-5; Sept.)

Kids can pour 79 science projects out of Pop Bottle Science by Lynn Brunelle, illus. by Paul Meisel. Packaged within an actual two-liter soda bottle (the top third separates for use in some experiments), the kit also includes a small measuring cup and spoons, balloons and cork, plus an oblong book of experiments, such as "Weighty Water," which explores gravity's effect on water pressure, and "Cosmic Spot" which lets young scientists create a liquid model of Jupiter's stormy Red Spot. (Workman, $14.95 paper 128p ages 8-12 ISBN 0-7611-2980-4; Sept.)

Jane Goodall tells of Rickie and Henri: A True Story, illus. by Alan Marks. Rickie, a young chimpanzee is orphaned when hunters kill his mother, then attempt to sell him in a Congolese market. A "tall man" rescues and nurses Rickie, and the man's dog, Henri, soon becomes the chimp's closest companion. Marks's realistic illustrations ably show Rickie running an emotional gamut from terror to joy. (Penguin/Minedition, $15.99 32p ages 4-8 ISBN 0-698-40002-X; Sept.)

The Boy Who Drew Birds: A Story of John James Audubon by Jacqueline Davies, illus. by Melissa Sweet, tells of the naturalist's lifelong study of his feathered friends. Author and artist portray Audubon as a curious and dedicated young adult who meticulously studied birds, their sounds, characteristics and behavior. Sweet uses a combination of pencils, ink and watercolors overlaid on several different types and textures of paper, and often incorporates photographs of fossils, feathers and more. A handsome presentation of this influential man's life. (Houghton, $15 32p ages 5-9 ISBN 0-618-24343-7; Sept.)