Are the cold, dreary days of February getting you and your tot down? Liven things up by reading these fun, zippy picture books to the preschooler in your life.

"Potty Animals" by Hope Vestergaard; illustrated by Valeria Petrone; Sterling Publishing; 34 pages; $14.95.

Be gone with the staid, instructional how-to-go-potty books. This super-fun picture book introduces the potty animals from Sycamore Preschool, who all have bathroom habits that need to be improved. Wilbur the hedgehog won't wash his hands, Wilma the pig waits too long to go, and though alligator Arnold has great aim on the basketball court, his toilet aim is way off the mark.

Vestergaard's rhyming text makes reading about afraid-to-flush Freddie and behind-the-tree-tinkler Stanley funny but also relatable for toddlers. Petrone's funky cool animals are charming and personable, catching the waning interests of children learning good bathroom habits. The ending tidies up the book's subtle lessons succinctly, with all the messages portrayed — "Plan ahead! Go potty before you sleep! Be sure to lift up the seat! Wash your hands!" The book also contains many more smart reminders.

"Eebee's Mix & Match: Adventures in the Kitchen for Baby & You" from Sterling Publishing; 14 pages; $12.95.

Who's Eebee? A friendly puppet baby who stars on Parents TV-related award-winning books, toys and DVDs. This sturdy board book, perfect for staying safe in the kitchen, introduces real recipes and food-related activities for parents to share with babies 6 months and up. There's "tof-ee finger food," for example. In this activity, babies can dump cubed firm tofu, wheat germ and mixed cinnamon and ginger into a snap-top bowl and shake away, all with a parent's help, of course.

Tots can help mash avocado into guacamole (a fun, messy, nutritious activity), and can also help add ingredients to "curr-eed" rice and banana, roasted "swee-ee-t" potato shapes, watermelon "slush-ee" and blueberry soup.

An exciting, hands-on introduction to "cooking" and introducing healthy foods to babies, "Eebee's" guide makes a perfect baby gift fodder.

"Andy and Sam Hide-and-Seek" by Liesbet Slegers; Kane Miller Publishing; 28 pages; $14.99.

Toddler Andy needs your help. He can't find his cat Sam, who likes to hide. So, Andy "asks" young readers numerous questions to help him locate the elusive kitty and then many other items: "Do you see a spider? Is he a pet?" "Grandma brought three candies. Can you find them?" And he asks, outside, questions such as: "Find the ants. What are they doing?" and "What is keeping the birds away from the vegetables?"

A fantastic search-and-find book for preschoolers, Slegers' book also appeals to the curious side of tots. Her colorful, active page spreads travel from inside Andy's room to the woods, to the farm, by the pond, on the beach and even at the zoo.

A fun way to wile away inside time with an interactive mesh of brainwork and entertainment, "Andy and Sam" also includes map-like "answers" at the back, so older kids can test themselves.

"Passing By" by Yona Tepper; illustrated by Gil-Ly Alon Curiel; Kane Miller Publishing; 32 pages; $15.99.

Another inquisitive picture book meant to open the eyes of preschoolers to the world around them, "Passing By" introduces young Yael, who peeks out of her balcony to see what's happening in the street below. Tots will love guessing where everyone is coming from and where they're going — "Where's the little dog now? Where has he gone? Who's that in the flowers? Who's creeping so quietly?"

Best of all is the ending — "Who is calling, 'Hello! Hello!' Who looks so cheerful? It's Daddy! 'Let's go for a walk!'"

A great way to foster the art of observation and the joy of paying attention to their senses, "Passing By" will inspire toddlers to look outside more often.

"Boom Boom Go Away!" by Laura Geringer; illustrated by Bagram Ibatoulline; Atheneum/Simon & Schuster; 34 pages; $15.99.

"There was a little gnome who lived in his little home, playing on his big brass drum. BOOM BOOM. And when his mama said, 'You had better go to bed,' he said, 'Hush!' Don't spoil the rhythm of my drum. BOOM BOOM," begins this truly amazing picture book. After the gnome and his drum, a little prince, "who made everybody wince" with his big bassoon, is introduced, then a little knight with battle bells, and so on, until the yet unforeseen little boy playing with the toys finally falls asleep.

Fabulous rhythmic text and plenty of sound effects make reading "Boom Boom Go Away!" aloud a noisy blast. Award-winning illustrator Ibatoulline brings a play room wonderland to life with zipping fairies, underwater mermaids with seashell harps, a colorful robot playing spoons on a flowerpot, and enough visual treats to delight any audience.

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.