How the Young-in-Heart Share Wonder
JEREMY KOOLOO
Written and illustrated
By Tim Mahurin
Dutton, unpaged, $13.99
Ages 2 to 5
ALPHABET CITY
Conceived and illustrated
By Stephen T. Johnson
Viking, unpaged, $14.99
All ages
HOW SWEET THE SOUND: AFRICAN-AMERICAN SONGS FOR CHILDREN
Selected by Wade
and Cheryl Hudson
Illustrated by Floyd Cooper
Scholastic
48 pp., $15.95
Ages 3 to 8
WYNKEN, BLYNKEN & NOD
By Eugene Field
Illustrated by Johanna Westerman
North-South Books
Unpaged, $15.95
Ages 3 to 6
TWIST WITH A BURGER, JITTER WITH A BUG
By Linda Lowery
Illustrated by Pat Dypold
Houghton Mifflin Co.
Unpaged, $14.95
Ages 4 to 7
THE MOUSE BRIDE
By Joy Cowley
Illustrated by David Christiana
Scholastic
Unpaged, $13.95
Ages 3 to 7
KASHTANKA
By Anton Chekhov
Translated by Ronald Meyer
Illustrated by Gennady Spirin
Gulliver/Harcourt Brace, Unpaged, $16
Ages 8 and up
THE SCHOOL MOUSE
By Dick King-Smith
Illustrated by Cynthia Fisher
Hyperion, 124 pp., $13.95
Ages 7 to 10
DINOTOPIA: THE WORLD BENEATH
Written and illustrated
By James Gurney
Turner Publishing
160 pp., $29.95
All ages
THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS
By Kenneth Grahame
Illustrated by Patrick Benson
St. Martin's Press
272 pp., $18.95
All ages
A CHRISTMAS CAROL
By Charles Dickens
Illustrated by Roberto Innocenti
Creative Editions/Harcourt Brace, 152 pp., $35
Adult/All ages
CHILDREN'S BOOKS AND THEIR CREATORS
Edited by Anita Silvey
Illustrated by various artists
Houghton Mifflin Co.
800 pp., $40
Adult/All ages
THE SECRET ART OF DR. SEUSS
Paintings and sculptures
By Theodor Seuss Geisel
Introduction by Maurice Sendak
Random House, unpaged, $30
Adult/All ages
At holiday time many of us turn to traditions that kindle the warmth of holidays past. The book industry is no exception. Many old favorites have been reissued in time for Hanukkah and Christmas. Here is a selection of some familiar books along with a few fresh titles - all vying for a place on your holiday gift list.
Alphabet Books
Books that teach a concept - such as the alphabet - can be traced back hundreds of years. These two new ones seem destined to become favorites.
Jeremy Kooloo, by Tim Mahurin, is a sweet, simple tale of a fuzzy white cat whose thirst for milk causes quite a mess. The words in this story start with the successive letters of the alphabet: ''A Big Cat Drank Every Full Glass.''
And does this artist know cats! Expressions and postures are genuine and amusing. Double-page spreads allow the cat to have almost life-size proportions, and make this charming book positively huggable.
Urban dwellers can't help but experience a flicker of recognition when looking at Alphabet City, by Stephen T. Johnson. In paintings so realistic they sometimes look like photographs, Johnson depicts each letter of the alphabet in urban or architectural settings.
For example, ''A'' is the end of the construction site's sawhorse, and ''Z'' is found in the zigzag of a fire escape. This book is a visual treat. And perhaps more important, it awakens the spirit of discovery and imagination in readers.
Song and Poetry
Glorious illustrations by Floyd Cooper and a fine selection of songs by compilers Wade and Cheryl Hudson make How Sweet the Sound: African-American Songs for Children a real picture-book treasure. Written as a companion volume to ''Pass It On: African-American Poetry for Children,'' this new work gives illustrated life to many songs from black culture: spirituals, chants, freedom songs, and jazz. It includes historical notes and music in the back of the book, making this a valuable resource, as well as a beautifully designed book.
More than 100 years ago, Eugene Field wrote his famous bedtime poem, Wynken, Blynken & Nod. Its soothing rhythms and rhymes are still pleasing sleepy children, and this season, Johanna Westerman's dreamy new illustrations provide extra appeal. Using a palette of mostly midnight blues and sea greens, Westerman liberally sprinkles slivery stars and fish into her illustrations.
Three children - all in nightclothes - sail their wooden shoe across the evening skies and then, when the journey is done, drop anchor on their own home's roof and climb into their trundle bed. A curious little black and white cat, visible in almost every picture, adds whimsy to this satisfying bedtime book.
Picture Books
Twist With a Burger, Jitter With a Bug - Linda Lowery's bouncy, rhyming celebration of dance - is sure to bring smiles and wiggles to youngsters. What kid can resist lines such as ''Boogie in the bathtub, hula-hula dance, rumba if you wanna in your underpants''? Pat Dypold's bright, cut-paper collage illustrations add irresistible exuberance to this imaginative book.
With The Mouse Bride, Joy Cowley has done a superb job adapting a traditional tale that appears in many different cultures to picture-book format. David Christiana's splendid watercolor illustrations add engrossing mouse-perspective visuals to this well-crafted book.
There's plenty of action as the mouse, who hates being small and weak, puts on her bridal veil and goes out looking for a strong husband. After exploring several good leads without success, she ends up with the perfect mate and a valuable lesson about her own worth.
Young Readers
Russian storyteller and playwright Anton Chekhov penned Kashtanka about 100 years ago. Now, Gennady Spirin, an illustrator born and trained in Moscow, brings the tale to life with remarkable images. Somber, muted shades and exquisite period and cultural detail evoke the Russia of a century ago.
Kashtanka is a little chestnut-colored dog who gets lost when following her owner, a cabinetmaker. Lonely and scared, she goes home with a man who feeds her, treats her well, and trains her and other animals for a circus act. She is happy and content, but still dreams of the comforting smells of her cabinetmaker's home and the little boy who loved her there.
At Kashtanka's circus debut, she hears her name called from the audience. What will the little dog do? This tender story is both heartbreaking and heartwarming.
After this year's hit movie ''Babe,'' Dick King-Smith may well become a household name. (''Babe'' was based on King-Smith's book ''Babe the Gallant Pig.'')
English author King-Smith's latest offering is The School Mouse. It's the story of Flora, who is born in a cozy schoolhouse and becomes the first mouse in her family to read. This is typical King-Smith: amusing and imaginative.
These are talking animals, but animals who suffer the realities of their world, nonetheless. Humorous black-and-white illustrations by Cynthia Fisher will add to young readers' enjoyment as they whip through the chapters.
Older Readers
Dinotopia: The World Beneath is the much anticipated sci-fi sequel to James Gurney's 1993 international bestseller ''Dinotopia: The Land Apart from Time.'' Fans of this earlier fantasy will recognize familiar characters, both human and prehistoric, as well as a familiar book format. Dazzling illustrations, calligraphy captions, elaborate maps, and quasi-scientific spreads give intimacy to the text.
The story chronicles scientist Arthur Dennison's venture into lost, sea-flooded caves. A second strand of the tale has Dennison's teenage son, Will, flying a daredevil mission to protect a caravan of dinosaurs.
The seemingly unrelated journeys of father and son end up converging, but not before mystery, danger, and romance are introduced to the plot. Although the tale is a bit choppy, with little character development, the Jules Verne qualities of the adventure and the stunning illustrations make this book well worth considering.
Last year in this space, we reviewed ''The Willows in Winter,'' William Horwood's ambitious sequel to Kenneth Grahame's classic ''The Wind in the Willows.'' This season Horwood and illustrator Patrick Benson have created a newly packaged version of Grahame's original. This Wind in the Willows has all of the original text; the favorite old friends (Mole, Ratty, Badger, and Toad); and the familiar, satisfying adventures of the River Bank and the Wild Woods.
New additions are an informative introduction by Horwood, fresh pen-and-ink illustrations by Benson, and an overall design that makes this version the perfect companion piece for anyone owning ''The Willows in Winter.''
Adults
Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol has been a holiday classic for more than 150 years. Although the story encourages the spirit of Christmas to fill our hearts, it takes the reader through some haunting nighttime experiences before ending on a hopeful note.
This newly illustrated version by Roberto Innocenti provides period details and a seriousness that matches the text. Ostensibly for adults, this is a beautifully illustrated, designed, and produced book.
Anita Silvey, editor of the Boston-based Horn Book Magazine, and nearly 200 experts have contributed a wonderful resource book to the shelves of children's literature. Focusing on the 20th century, Children's Books and Their Creators, covers almost everything from board books to young adult novels, and tells about the authors and illustrators who produce these books. This is an invaluable reference to dip in and out of, but it is also so interesting that many people will read straight through.
And for those who grew up reading any of Dr. Seuss's more than 40 children's books, The Secret Art of Dr. Seuss is a must-see book. This volume features full-page, full-color reproductions of artwork Theodor Seuss Geisel created for his own pleasure. Many of the paintings and sculptures evoke familiar Seuss themes, style, and humor, but they also offer a sophistication that makes this book entirely appropriate for adults.
