The 20 Best Children's Books of 2010

In My Forest

By Sara Gillingham

Our experts think this tale about a baby deer in the forest is just as sweet as the attached finger puppet that you can move around while reading it. (1 to 4 years, $9)

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Lots of Spots

By Lois Ehlert

Basic rhymes about animals with stripes and spots are perfect for introducing poetry to little ones. The art's also vibrant like another of Ehlert's works: Chicka Chicka Boom Boom. (3 to 5 years, $18)

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My Pretty Pink Alphabet Purse

By Tim Bugbird

Attention moms of princess-wannabes: What could be more fun for learning letters than carrying around this sparkly book? (2 to 6 years, $10)

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How to Clean a Hippopotamus

By Steve Jenkins and Robin Page

Who knew that African turtles nibble the algae on hippos? Or birds eat ticks off of giraffes? Through collage art, kids learn about the sym biotic animal kingdom. (6 to 9 years, $16)

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Older Than the Stars

By Karen C. Fox

"This book helps convey to kids the wonder of the universe," says Susan Dove Lempke, youth services supervisor at the Niles Public Library, in Illinois. (5 to 9 years, $16)

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Pop! The Invention of Bubble Gum

By Meghan McCarthy

Find out all about this sweet discovery, from why it was pink to the first bubble-blowing. (4 to 8 years, $16)

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Dinosaurs?!

By Lila Prap

Chickens discover that they're related to dinos. "They try to explain the science to their babies, and the dialogue is clever," says Jan Miller Burkins, a literacy consultant in Athens, Georgia. (4 to 8 years, $17)

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Shark vs. Train

By Chris Barton

If your kid loves the Toy Story movies, he'll dig this hilarious book, which pits a plastic shark and a toy train against each other in a variety of wacky challenges. (4 to 8 years, $17)

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City Dog, Country Frog

By Mo Willems and Jon J. Muth

Two of today's children's-book heavyweights join forces for this sweet, moving story about friendship and loss. (4 to 8 years, $18)

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The Quiet Book

By Deborah Underwood

On almost every judges' list, this tender tale about different types of quiet time is the one you and your child will want to cuddle up with. (2 to 6 years, $13)

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Miss Brooks Loves Books! (and I Don't)

By Barbara Bottner

Hard time getting your kid to read? She'll relate to this first-grader who rejects tons of books for silly reasons. (4 to 8 years, $18)

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Fly Guy Meets Fly Girl!

By Tedd Arnold

Here's the buzz: Wedding bells are ringing in this time-honored series about a boy and his pet fly. Happily ever after? Read it to find out! (5 to 7 years, $6)

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Benny and Penny in the Toy Breaker

By Geoffrey Hayes

Three mice finally find a way to play nicely in this story that does a great job of combining picture books and comics. (5 to 7 years, $13)

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Lola & Tiva: An Unlikely Friendship

By Juliana, Isabella, and Craig Hatkoff

Real snapshots show a little girl living in Kenya and the rhinoceros she helped take care of. (5 to 7 years, $4)

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Airplane Adventure

By Cari Meister

Part of the My 1st Graphic Novel series, this book follows siblings who take their first plane ride to visit their grandma in Mexico. (5 to 7 years, $4)

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Clementine, Friend of the Week

By Sara Pennypacker

When it's a third-grader's turn to be line leader and class helper, something goes terribly wrong. (7 to 10 years, $15)

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Frankly, Frannie

By AJ Stern

This new book series has spunky main characters, a great sense of humor, and amazing illustrations. The font even changes throughout the story to highlight special vocabulary. (7 to 10 years, $5)

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Mouse and Mole: A Winter Wonderland

By Wong Herbert Yee

If the Frog and Toad books are faves at your house, you've got to check out this charmer. The story is snow fun for kids. (5 to 8 years, $15)

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The Night Fairy

By Laura Amy Schlitz

Use this sweet story of a hurt fairy to teach about the meaning of friendship, suggests Susan Ehmann, a reading specialist in Smithtown, New York. (7 to 11 years, $17)

Originally published in the December 2010 issue of Parents magazine.

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