Books for everyone on your list

Preschool

Top 2006 Picks:

The Red Lemon by Bob Staake (Golden Books, $15)
Bold colorful illustrations make this tale, about a farmer who discovers an extra-special, extra-sweet red lemon in his orchard, a hit with preschoolers.

Alphabet Under Construction by Denise Fleming (Henry Holt & Company, $17)
A cute and creative little mouse builds the alphabet, one letter at a time in this lovely illustrated book. Kids will love learning their letters while they giggle at the mouse's efforts.

**Like this one? Try Alphabet Adventure by Audrey Wood (Blue Sky Press, $16)

Looking for a Moose by Phyllis Root and Randy Cecil (Candlewick, $16)
Fun sing-songy text and appealing illustrations by an award-winning author and illustrator make looking for this silly moose extra fun!

**Like this one? Try Mooses Come Walking by Arlo Guthrie (Chronicle Books, $14)

Christmas Pop-Up by Robert Clarke Subuda (Orchard Books, $13)
Kids love pop-ups! This fun little book is filled with pop-ups that spell out "Christmas." Pick it up a couple weeks before the big day to fuel the excitement in a positive way.

Mommy? by Maurice Sendak, Matthew Reinhart and Arthur Yorinks (Scholastic, $25)
Lovers of the timeless Where the Wild Things Are will welcome another book by author/illustrator Maurice Sendak. In this picture book, a mischievous boy wanders into a haunted house in search of his mom, and turns the tables on some not-so-scary monsters.

Can't-Go-Wrong Classics:

• Books by Dr Seuss (Random House, $9)
• The I Spy series (Scholastic, $7 and up)
• Books by Robert Munsch (Cartwheel Books, $5)