Kids' Home Library by Lee Littlewood

Picture books can transport readers to lovely locales with fairy tale-like stories. These new storybooks will capture the short attention spans of youngsters and leave them with imaginative stories to retell.

"The Bog Baby" by Jeanne Willis and Gwen Millward; Schwartz and Wade/Random House; 32 pages; $16.99.

Two young sisters venture out to go fishing in a pond and find a bog baby. What's a bog baby? A tiny, blue, winged creature brought home by the girls, who keep him a coveted secret from all. But like most wild things, the adorable urchin doesn't adjust too well to domesticity and becomes sick. The girls finally fess up to Mom, who tells them the bog baby isn't meant to eat cake, or walk on a leash, or sleep in a tub. The threesome set him free, back where he belongs, to play in the pond and "sleep in damp leaves under the moon."

Years later, the narrator's daughter ventures to the "magic" pond and finds hundreds of bog babies swinging through the bluebells and floating on their backs. She ends the magical tale with, "That's what she told me. And that's what I believe."

Beautiful and gentle, Willis' new storybook has a lovely happy ending and prompts kids to take care of nature and believe in magic.

"Up" by Jim LaMarche; Chronicle Books; 32 pages; $16.95.

LaMarche's paintings have been called luminescent with "a wealth of emotion." Mixing the magical with the everyday, Jim LaMarche's new book is the story of a boy tired of being called "Little Mouse." Fantasizing about being strong, Daniel mystically makes crackers lift off the table. He persistently tries to levitate other objects and slowly learns he has an amazing gift. Daniel's talent is put to the test when he helps move a beached whale off the sand, saving its life and leaving a seaside community grateful and a young boy happy to gain the respect of his father.

The author's easy ability to weave a breathtaking tale for youngsters shows through in the gloriously summery scenes and in the empowering expressions of young Daniel.

A mighty tale indeed, not to be confused with the popular animated film of the same name, that one soon to be released on DVD.

"The Secret Life of Walter Kitty" by Barbara Jean Hicks; illustrated by Dan Santat; Alfred A. Knopf; 40 pages; $16.99.

Huge-grinned Walter Kitty lives a charmed life indeed, envisioning himself as "Fang," a swashbuckling superhero tiger of a cat. Irritating to Walter, Mr. and Mrs. Biddle don't quite see Fang's powers, and so, every once in a while, he answers to "Walter," "Kitty" and even "Snookums." That doesn't stop Walter from battling pirates and acting like King Kong while his exasperated neighbors chase him out of their gardens and off their kitchen tables.

Walter's bigger-than-life mischief and haughty, hilarious comments will have preschoolers begging for repeated readings.

"The Princess and the Pea" by Rachel Isadora; Putnam/Penguin; 32 pages; $16.99.

Isadora's gorgeous, simple retelling of a classic fairy tale is set in exotic Africa, with a prince who only finds his princess after a great storm and a knock on the palace gate. First, though, the colorfully clad prince meets several other contestants, and Isadora adds African greetings for kids to learn.

Of course, the princess is selected after her sensitivity to a pea as she tries to sleep, but Isadora's amazing colors and rustic illustrations raise this retelling up to unique status.

"Edwardo: The Horriblest Boy in the Whole Wide World" by John Burningham; Knopf; 32 pages; $16.99.

A succinct read, Burningham's lively tale of a boy pegged as clumsy, noisy and messy should ring true with most other "horriblest boys." No matter what little mistakes Edwardo makes, adults rant at him, and he becomes those things with a vengeance. One day, however, a bit of positive reinforcement comes his way, and by mistake, Edwardo's messy, cruel ways are appreciated and seen as wonderful. Finally, Edwardo becomes what he's told he is — "the nicest boy in the whole world."

A fun reminder that compliments and niceties can make a difference, especially to children, Burningham's tale should win awards.

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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