Kids' Home Library by Lee Littlewood

Books about personable critters help brighten little ones' cold winter days. These new pictures books star animals with enough personality to rival any human's.

"Tillie Lays an Egg" by Terry Golson; photography by Ben Fink; Scholastic Press; 32 pages; $16.99.

Homey photographs of a real-life farm provide an authentic backdrop for this fun chicken tale. With names such as Buffy, Ginger and Twinkydink, the chickens of Little Pond Farm take their turns to lay eggs, and then head off to scratch for corn. But rambunctious Tillie doesn't want to wait her turn for the nesting box; she searches instead for tasty worms. She travels inside the cozy farmhouse to take a nap in the laundry room and snacks on the breakfast at the table.

Tillie does eventually lay her egg, but is quickly off on her latest adventure. Retro farm photo setups make an appealing look for this friendly hen tale, with a chicken friend constantly asking readers, "Where has Tillie laid her egg?"

Author Golson says all the pictured hens live in her backyard and were treated "eggs-tremely well" during photo shoots.

"DogFish" by Gillian Shields; illustrated by Dan Taylor; Atheneum/Simon & Schuster; 32 pages; $16.99.

The round-faced, hypnotic-eyed little boy in this appealing tale wants a dog, but as his mother reminds him, he has a nice goldfish. And in her "soothing-and-explaining" voice, she rattles off all the reasons not to have a dog. But the adorable boy still pleads, even rationing that 444 stairs would be very good exercise for a dog.

Still, Mom finally hits gold when she says, "Well, if you can't have what you want, you could try to want what you have." From then on, the boy realizes he can take his goldfish for walks (in his bowl on a wagon) and that his fish is a great listener.

Impeccably written, with calm humor and incredibly appealing 1950s-like illustrations, "DogFish" is a lovely tale for kids who yearn for more.

"Five Silly Monkeys" by Susie Brooks; illustrated by Debbie Tarbett; Scholastic; 14 pages; $9.99.

Shaped, sturdy board pages entice tots to count down colorful pastel-colored monkeys as they swing from page to page in a leafy jungle. With a zippy rhyming refrain — "Two silly monkeys were having fun one day, when one bounced up and swung away!" — the happy tale ends with all five friends back together, chattering and munching bananas.

Best of all, a sturdy push button allows kids to hear monkey chitchat on each page.

Joyful and colorful, "Five Silly Monkeys" is indeed a "playful counting book."

"Rhyming Dust Bunnies" by Jan Thomas; Atheneum/Simon & Schuster; 32 pages; $12.99.

Sure, dust bunnies might not be real animals, but they sure are personable and funny in this brief tale. The four furry dust bunnies play a rhyming game, but "black sheep" Bob never quite gets it right, with hilarity. When Ed asks what rhymes with bug, Ned and Ted say, "rug" and "hug," and Bob utters, "Look out!" When Ed counters with "What rhymes with dog?" he and his friends say "hog," "log" and "fog," but Bob yells, "Look Out! Here comes a big scary monster with a broom!"

Only after the foursome ends up in the vacuum cleaner does Ed ask Bob, "Um, Bob, what rhymes with "How Do We Get Out?"

A humorous introduction to comedy for toddlers and preschoolers, "Rhyming Dust Bunnies" is a hoot.

"Animals Robert Scott Saw" and "Animals Christopher Columbus Saw" by Sandra Markle; Chronicle Books; 46 pages and $16.99 each.

The first two entries in an innovative new picture book series from Chronicle Books, called "The Explorers," puts the emphasis on the animals first seen during explorations. Robert Scott, while not the first to reach the South Pole, was the first to see an emperor penguin breeding ground. And Christopher Columbus certainly couldn't have imagined feasting on roasted lizard.

Science education consultant Markle knows animals pique kids' interests; she effectively meshes historical data with nimble writing, lovely paintings and fascinating animal facts — best for children ages 7 to 10.

"Classic Animal Stories" compiled by Cooper Edens; Chronicle Books; 154 pages; $19.99.

New to Chronicle's "Classic Illustrated Edition" series comes this timeless collection of animal tales starring Peter Rabbit, Winnie-the-Pooh, the Billy Goats Gruff and more. With compilation help from author/illustrator Edens, who owns one of the largest collections of vintage picture books in the world, this lovely time has a refreshing old-fashioned look and feel.

A fantastic gift book for all ages, "Classic Animal Stories" is hard to put down.

To find out more about Lee Littlewood and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

COPYRIGHT 2008 CREATORS SYNDICATE INC.