It's important to read aloud to young children even in the summer months when pools and backyards beckon. Here are some of this summer's brightest new picture books.

"You're a Crab!: A Moody Day Book" by Jenny Whitehead; Henry Holt & Company; 32 pages; $16.99.

Preschoolers' bad moods can wreak havocs on young families. But their tantrums and grumpies are usually short-lived. This zesty tale introduces moods and feelings in a pastel underwater world full of friendly creatures. Jenny Whitehead compares the undersea animals to kids, letting them know that one day "you can be a silly jellyfish that does a wiggle-jiggle dance," and the next day, you can feel "mean like a shark that wants to CHOMP on something squishy."

Silly faces on a puffer fish, a mopey manatee and an invitation to "Squid's Pity Party" will make youngsters laugh and realize that feelings change and often come back to happy.

Whitehead's images, which include hermit crabs crawling down the beach with buckets and a hammerhead shark and sawfish building a castle, ensure that "You're a Crab!" maintains its lighthearted delivery.

"One Family" by George Shannon; pictures by Blanca Gomez; Farrar, Straus Giroux; 28 pages; $17.99.

With thumbprint-like illustrations of an adorably diverse family, this unique tale celebrates families of all cultures, individualities and complexities. Also a counting tome, the story begins with: "One box of crayons. One batch of cookies. One world. One family," counts on up to ten family members, and ends with: "One is one and everyone. One earth. One world. One family." George Shannon's book is homey and sweet and kind. Blanca Gomez's decidedly retro illustrations are spot-on.

"The Perfect Percival Priggs" by Julie-Anne Graham; Running Press; 32 pages; $16.95.

As the son and grandson of perfect people, Percival Priggs seems to be the perfect child. His shelves are lined with trophies. But Percival has no free time. When Percy's rocket experiment fails and turns into a mess, he worries his parents won't love him. His parents happily reveal their own imperfections and show Percy how great he really is.

In this time of helicopter parenting and overscheduling, Julie-Anne Graham's lighthearted tale is important. But it's also fresh and stylish and fun, with collage-style artwork full of textured patterns and drawn characters. Delightfully quirky and sweet, "The Perfect Percival Priggs" is also a great lesson in acceptance.

"The Storm Whale" by Benji Davies; Henry Holt; 32 pages; $16.99.

Gorgeously modern-yet-vintage-looking illustrations bring "The Storm Whale" to life in this father-son tale. When his father goes to work every day, Young Noi is left home in their house by the sea. One day after a storm, Noi rescues a little whale who has washed up on shore. He sprays it with water and carts it home in his wagon to put it in his bathtub. All along, Noi is afraid his father will be upset. But the contrary happens, and eventually the pair row the little whale back out to sea to release him.

Incredibly sweet and caring, "The Storm Whale" is a visual joy, but also a very loving tale of compassion and patience. Preschoolers will love how Noi nurtures the whale, and how the father and his young son bond and grow closer.

"Pat-a-Cake Baby" by Joyce Dunbar and Polly Dunbar; Candlewick Press; 28 pages; $16.99.

A sticky-sweet, gooey, pop-art wonder, this baking tale introduces a wide-awake baby who is gung-ho to make a cake. The Dunbars' book is high-octane, with sing-songy text that is fun to read aloud to tots, such as: "With a mutter mutter mutter pitter patter comes the butter oh so yellow shiny yellow, holler, 'Hello, Yellow!'" Polly Dunbar's elfin illustrations include lots of whistling moons, shining stars and dripping sugar, while Joyce Dunbar's skit-scat verse is a hoot: "We skitter scatter hundreds and sprinkle spronkle thousands." All this adds up to one fun tot read.

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