Kids' Home Library by Lee Littlewood

The newest children's books add fun, humor and excitement to the mix. These books target various age groups and offer plenty of zip.

"Max Said Yes! The Woodstock Story" by Abigail Yasgur & Joseph Lipner; illustrated by Barbara Mendes; Change the Universe Press/IPG Books; 32 pages; $17.95.

Woodstock — a pivotal moment in the cultural history of the United States — may at first seem an R-rated tale not to be shared with children, until this book, that is. Colorful, rhyming and groovy, "Max Said Yes!" centers on a Jewish dairy farmer named Max Yasgur, who provides a location for the famous festival. Proving that one humble human could change history with his generosity, this energetic tale also shines with kid-friendly descriptions of Woodstock's promises of love, music and peace.

Certainly jubilant and wonderfully decorated with vivid 1960s tie-dye patterns, peace signs and multicultural crowds, "Max Said Yes!" is a joyous ode to a cultural turning point. To order, visit www.maxsaidyes.com.

"Killer Pizza" by Greg Taylor; Feiwel and Friends Publishing; 352 pages; $16.99.

Even R.L. Stine loves this "hot slice of horror" about a spooky franchise known as Killer Pizza and the 14-year-old who takes what becomes a very bizarre first job. It turns out that Toby's job site is really a front for the owner to kill monsters. Though Toby is not into that particular line of work, if he quits, his hometown may be overrun with the half-human/half-reptile creatures.

Penned by the screenwriter of such hits as "Jumanji" and "Harriet the Spy," Taylor has woven a chilling but witty tale peppered with plenty of dark humor — perfect for middle-school reluctant readers.

"Killer Pizza's" cover is cool, too. It opens to a greasy pizza box liner that looks as real as anything Domino's delivers.

"Stuff and Nonsense" by David Pelham; Little Simon/Simon & Schuster; 14 pages; $14.99.

A bevy of adorable mice prance across the pages of this pop-up book while collecting lots of stuff — scaly stuff, wavy stuff, spotty stuff, woolly stuff.

And tots can run their fingers around it all. The parade of mice carries all their stuff productively, but not without bumps, heavy breathing, cheese breaks and hurt toes. Pelham's zippy text "chatter-chatters, huffy-puffs and hoppy faster, leg in plaster, trippy-trippy, crashes" across the active, sturdy and touch-and-feel pages.

A fabulously interactive preschool book, "Stuff and Nonsense" will certainly rock tots' bookshelves. They'll also be pleased when all that heavy lifting has a purpose, with the whimsical pop-up house finished at the end.

"Hero.com: Rise of the Heroes" and "Villain.net: Council of Evil" by Andy Briggs; Walker & Co.; 260 pages and $7.99 each.

Briggs' new superhero mystery series for young readers is truly modern and action-packed, which is great for young teens in love with their electronic devices. In "Hero.com," Pete, Lorna and Emily are average kids, until they stumble across a website — www.hero.com — that turns them into real superheroes with the click of a mouse. "Villian.net" is the "anti-series," which stars a boy named Jake who reluctantly joins forces with a depraved villain.

Readers from ages 10 to 16 can become part of the series' phenomenon with a visit to www.heroorvillainbooks.com to challenge friends and join a unique multimedia experience.

"Always Lots of Heinies at the Zoo" by Ayun Halliday; illustrations by Dan Santat; Disney/Hyperion; 32 pages; $15.99.

A picture book that begins — "From the feathered booty of the cockatoo to the hairy haunches of the caribou, some are smooth, and some are shiny; some are swimming in the briny — no one tries to hide his heinie at the zoo" — is certain to elicit major guffaws. Even educational, the animals' booty colors and descriptions are hilarious, and the book's ending, which differentiates humans from animals, warns that "blithely baring bums is not a thing we do."

Fantastically timely, Halliday's retro-decorated picture book should capture the zoo/amusement park/water park vacationers' attentions, making them aware of the bottom line.

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.

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