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BACK TO SCHOOL
"Little Brown Bear Won't Go to School," by Jane Dyer (Little, Brown and Co., $15.96)
In artist and author Jane Dyer's newest book, "Little Brown Bear Won't Go to School," Little Brown Bear wants to have a job, instead of going to school. In the end, Little Brown Bear learns that he'll have some neat jobs to do at school. Dyer's illustrations are warm and inviting. Fans of her other works including "Little Brown Bear Won't Take a Nap!" will recognize her signature style right away.
"Mouse's First Day at School," by Lauren Thompson (Simon & amp; Schuster, $12.95)
Another title for kindergartners is "Mouse's First Day at School" by Lauren Thompson. It's part of her "Mouse's First" series. Mouse would like to get a real job like the grown-ups. But she has to go to school! Then she finds out all the tasks a young learner has at school. This picture book will be a good introduction to any new student. The sweet artwork and rich jewel tones by illustrator Buket Erdogan make this book a mouster-piece.
"Sweet Briar Goes to School," by Karma Wilson (Dial, $16.99)
There's nothing stinky about "Sweet Briar Goes to School" by Karma Wilson. This book ties in lots of lessons from not judging by first impressions to being an individual. The illustration by LeUyen Pham helps tell about a bad start to school that turns good. Parents can share the lessons with a laugh.
"I Won't Get Lost," by Martha Lambert (HarperCollins, $15.99)
Another critter tale that shares a lesson is "I Won't Get Lost" by Martha Lambert. There's a lot of text in this picture book about personal safety, so it's one to read aloud. The dragon student, Horatio, is playfully portrayed by artist Kate Duke. Horatio does fine at school, but he doesn't remember a lesson on memorizing his address and phone. So when he leaves school, he gets into a bit of trouble. It includes a sheet where your young one can write down his address and phone and full name.
"Late for School," by Mike Reiss (Peachtree, $16.95)
Sometimes getting to school can be the problem -- or an adventure. In "Late for School" by Mike Reiss, most of the obstacles that slow Smitty down won't arise for your reader, even on the most harried morning. The prose is playful and the exaggerated, imaginative illustrations by Michael Austin work well with this tale.
"Hello School! A Classroom Full of Poems," by Dee Lillegard (Dell Dragonfly, $6.99)
Playful poetry can be just the thing to make the school year start easier. "Hello School! A Classroom Full of Poems" by Dee Lillegard would be a perfect gift for a teacher or a student. The Claymation-style art is bright and matches the theme.
ARTS AND CRAFTS
"The Jumbo Book of Art," by the teachers at the Avenue Road Arts School in Toronto (Kids Can Press, $14.95, available in September)
Young children are born artists. Give them a pencil or paintbrush and they'll readily create an artwork for you to admire. As children grow, however, they become more self-critical about their abilities and many give it up, figuring they just don't have artistic talent.
But creating art is like anything else -- if you want to get good at it, you first have to learn more about how to do it and then practice what you learn. That's where a book like "The Jumbo Book Of Art" comes in. This book contains a series of fun, easy projects designed to teach some of the essentials of creating art.
Aimed at children ages 8 and up, the book is filled with ideas that are challenging enough to interest older children, yet are simple to do. It's also a great book for adults who are interested in teaching themselves a bit about artistic endeavors.
One example: to teach youngsters about using color, the authors suggest first sketching a scene and then using markers or a Q-tip dipped in acrylic paints to add a dot of color at a time. The colorful, interesting result looks a bit like a "pointillist" painting done by 19th-century artist Georges Seurat.
"Crocheting," by Gwen Blakley Kinsler and Jackie Young and illustrated by Esperanca Melo (Kids Can Press, $5.95)
This book explains the essentials of crocheting and then gives directions for several projects, including a locker organizer and a winter scarf.
"Funky Junk," written and illustrated by Renee Schwarz (Kids Can Press, $5.95)
Author/illustrator Renee Schwarz shows how bits and pieces of household junk can be combined with hardware-store purchases to create things like a key chain shaped like an alien and a "bungee bug bracelet."
"Picture This," by Debra Friedman (Kids Can Press, $5.95)
With a "point and shoot" 35 mm camera and a couple of rolls of film, kids can develop some proficiency in photography with "Picture This." The clear text makes it easy to understand how to create memorable pictures and then turn them into things like a "star nameplate" for a bedroom door or a "day-in-the-life diaroma."
"Making Masks," written and illustrated by Renee Schwarz (Kids Can Press, $5.95)
In "Making Masks," kids and their parents will find ideas for making masks that also could be great starting points for Halloween costumes.
"Making Shadow Puppets," written by Jill Bryant and Catherine Heard and illustrated by Laura Watson (Kids Can Press, $5.95)
Young readers can learn how to create shadow puppets and then use them for a show in "Making Shadow Puppets." The book also contains a brief history of this performance art.
"All-American Quilts," written by Biz Storms and illustrated by June Bradford (Kids Can Press, $6.95)
Red, white and blue are the colors used to create the projects in "All-American Quilts." This book, which will be published in September, contains directions for creating an "All-American sampler" and a "patriotic pet quilt," among other projects.
"FamilyFun Home," edited by Deanna F. Cook (Disney, $24.95).
Both parents and kids will find lots of fun craft ideas in "FamilyFun Home. This book contains more than 200 projects to add organization and color to every room in your home.
Many of the projects are simple -- an onion-print apron, clocks decorated with stickers. Other projects require time and some know-how (although the directions are quite clear). These include a kid-sized fold-up picnic table and a puppet theater.
The book is published in the same, easy-to-use spiral-bound-notebook format as other FamilyFun books. Many readers also will be inspired by the tips from "real life" families scattered throughout the book. (Ages 8 up, or younger with adult help.)
"Animals" and "Cars and Trucks," by Joan Holub; illustrated by Holub and Dana Regan (Price Stern Sloan, $5.99 each)
Joan Holub uses rhyming text to show readers how easy and fun it can be to draw in a new series called "Easy to Read! Easy to Draw!" These paperbacks will have kids eager to grab paper and pencil so they can follow Holub's simple directions for drawing everything from a giraffe to a garbage truck. The first two books in the series are "Animals" and "Cars and Trucks." The books cost $5.99 each, and are aimed at ages 5-8.
"Kids Knitting: Projects for Kids of All Ages," by Melanie Falick; photographs by Chris Hartlove, illustrations by Kristin Nicholas (Artisan, $12.95)
Falick's colorful, user-friendly knitting book is the first geared specifically toward children. She provides step-by-step instructions, candy-colored illustrations and 12 easy-to-follow projects -- from scarves to beanbags. The book also includes related activities such as making your own knitting needles, dyeing yarn with Kool-Aid and making felt balls. Although it is meant for children, adults interested in learning to knit could also benefit from the book's simple instructions.
FOR PARENTS
"Hop, Skip & amp; Jump: Exercises, activities and games to promote your child's movement, posture and balancing skills," by Peter Walker (Firefly Books, $12.95)
This is an engaging handbook of exercises and games created to develop a child's strength and improve posture and balancing skills. Written by a physical therapist, the book contains fun-filled activities that are a perfect way for parents and children to spend time together.
"Yoga for Kids," by Liz Lark; photos by Clare Park (Firefly Books, $19.95)
Liz Lark's colorful yoga book offers exercises and imaginative play that adults can use to help their kids cope with the stresses of an ultra-competitive childhood. The book is suitable for children as young as pre-schoolers and is presented for the non-expert adult who wishes to guide youngsters on a journey of physical and spiritual exploration. The language is child-friendly, and the book contains 200 full-color photos by Clare Park, which illustrate the poses described in the text.
"Spots, Birthmarks and Rashes: The Complete Guide to Caring for your Child's Skin," by June Thompson RGN, RM, RHV (Firefly Books, $12.95)
The book details the symptoms, treatment and possible prevention of a wide variety of children's skin problems in non-medical terms. An experienced nurse with years of allaying parental concerns, June Thompson defines common skin terms, provides an informative questionnaire to aid diagnosis, describes how to treat a baby's tender skin and offers specific methods for treating each condition.
"Pee, Poop and Potty Training," by Alison Mackonochie (Firefly Books, $12.95)
This book explains how a baby's basic plumbing works, tells how to assess when a child is ready to begin potty training and reveals a variety of techniques for the child -- and parent -- to achieve potty training success. Alison Mackonochie is a medical writer and mother of three.