The coveted Caldecott Award, which honors an extraordinary picture book for children, will be announced in January, but avid readers of all ages are already weighing in. At the Allen County Public Library, the kids' book club chose Green by Laura Vaccaro Seeger as the winner of their Mock Caldecott Award. Meanwhile over in Rhode Island, librarians from across the state have put together a list of nominees for a similar competition, showing love for such books as Bear Has a Story to Tell by Philip C. Stead and Extra Yarn by Mac Barnett. Which book wins your Mock Caldecott this year?

While we wait for the new recipient, check out our list of past winners and be reminded of a rich history of picture books worth revisiting.

Take a break during the busy holiday season to enjoy spending time reading to your children. Reading Rockets' Learning Traditions guide suggests easy and no-cost ideas to listen, laugh, and learn with children of all ages. Explore the magic of the season with the fun, seasonal books on the Winter Holidays list.

At the library you will hear us singing the praises of Playing Together. Playing is the way that children begin to learn and develop the skills they will use to succeed in school and beyond. And it's fun. Here are what a few people you may recognize have said about play:

It is a happy talent to know how to play. - Ralph Waldo Emerson

A child loves his play, not because it's easy, but because it's hard. - Benjamin Spock

Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning. But for children play is serious learning. - Fred Rogers

Play is the work of children. - Maria Montessori

...And young children are 100% employed, all the time. - Raffi

When your mom is a librarian, you can always count on getting books in your stocking. As a parent, you can count on those books being a great return on your investment. Just this past week my six-year-old daughter read a book out loud to me-- it was a beginning reader book about Wonder Woman. She had received the book in her stocking when she was three and was way obsessed with princesses. I was countering that obsession with the powerful Princess of the Amazons. It worked like a charm, by the way. Her favorite princesses are still the princess-warrior types. She asked her dad and me to read that Wonder Woman book to her every night for months. And now, three years later, she is reading it to me. Books have a way of coming back like that, again and again. Check out our lists for books on princesses, superheroes, and beginning readers!

The beloved classic picture book The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats just celebrated its 50th anniversary. Now is the perfect time to introduce your children to this charming and timeless book. Looking for a newer book to share? Explore the engaging books by new authors on the Ezra Jack Keats Awards list.

Singing is one of the most powerful ways that you can help your child learn about language. Songs often include rhyming or simply push us to slow down pronunciation, which increases children's awareness and sensitivity to the sounds in words. Your local library has a wealth of family-friendly music CDs you can check out. Need one more reason to sing? You can download up to three free songs each week using the Library's subscription to Freegal.

Did you know that several popular Minnesota rock and folk musicians have made music for kids? You can check out CDs by Haley Bonar, The Roe Family Singers, Peter Himmelman, and Bunny Clogs (featuring Adam Levy of the Honeydogs) to name a few! Be sure to sing with your children any chance you have: at home, in the car, during a walk. You don't need to be a rock star, just have fun!

Halloween can be downright terrifying for young children. They are just learning the boundary between truth and fiction, and those ghosts and zombies can seem so real. As children negotiate that boundary, things that are scary can also be deliciously fun. You can help your children work their way through scary feelings with some books that walk this line, too. These monster books show that children can be in charge of their fear, and enjoy the fun without getting overwhelmed.

The nature of reading is changing before our eyes and not just for adults: more and more picture books are available in ebook format, as well as print format. Just as with adult ebooks, baby and toddler ebooks present a wonderful opportunity to have multiple books on hand with just one device. This presents a great diversion for long car trips and time spent in the waiting room, all without having to keep track of each individual book or worry about late fees.

Talk to your local librarian to learn more about getting started with your ebook device and check out this list of Ebooks and More for Young Children for a list of available picture ebooks we love.

Many activities that young children enjoy are terrific for developing fine motor skills and eye-hand coordination, which they need for writing. Encourage your child to cut paper with child-friendly scissors, place beads on a string (or pasta shapes on a shoelace), play with blocks, and do simple jigsaw puzzles. Even pinching spring-loaded clothespins can help build the muscles your child will use for writing.

Don't miss our list of selected New Picture Books. Every two months we update the list with some of the most appealing, eye-catching, and charming books that we have added to our collection. October's updated list includes a new Olivia story, Halloween books, and Apples A to Z.

In his book, Last Child in the Woods, Richard Louv warns against what he calls Nature Deficit Disorder. Try this simple trick for helping your child connect with books and nature all at the same time. Ask the friendly youth services librarian at your local library to help you find the Easy Nonfiction section. Find a book about things you can see all around you in nature. Then go outside and explore.
Here's another one: Do a Storywalk. Read a book about leaves as you walk down a colorful path in October. Read a book about frogs as you hunt for them by a nearby pond. The Webber Park Library even has an organized Storywalk planned in October. Book and nature activities will help your child build a relationship with nature as well as build vocabulary along the way.

Discover how you can help preschoolers develop early literacy skills by watching Toddling Toward Reading online. You can view the entire 30 minute episode of this public television program or just the highlights that interest you. The episode is hosted by Reba McEntire and includes an interview with popular children's book author Sandra Boynton.

When children play make-believe, they are actually building their pre-reading skills. The ability to symbolize, to know that the word "princess" on a page connotes a certain image of royal girly fabulousness, is an important concept they will need to understand before they can learn to read. When they are three and pretend to be a different creature every hour, they are studying this very thing. When they take a stick and turn it into a magic fairy wand, or a warrior's sword, the power of symbolic thought is hard at work in your preschooler. So you can feel like you're preparing your children well when you bring home these books for your superheroes and princesses at home. Just be prepared-- they may ask you to be the dragon once in a while.

Sometimes the gap between a toddler and a kindergartener can seem wider than the Grand Canyon! At different stages of development, even at a matter of months, children show varied interests and skillsets when it comes to reading. But there are some wonderful books that can help bridge the gap and speak to all members of the family at different levels.
Check out our list of Family Read-Alouds for titles sure to please everyone, from classics like The House on Pooh Corner to new treats like The Amazing Trail of Seymour Snail.

In honor of their twentieth anniversary, children's book publisher Candlewick Press presents a We Believe in Picture Books video celebration. Each day their site will feature a new video from Candlewick authors, illustrators, and staff. Highlights include interviews with My Friend Bear author Jez Alborough and Megan McDonald, author of Judy Moody. Don't miss this chance to learn more about some of your favorite picture books.

Talking with your child is one of the best ways to help develop language and other early literacy skills. Conversations help a child express thoughts, learn what words mean, and gain new information about the world. Of course talking about books is a great way to start a conversation, especially if you choose books about dinosaurs or anything your child is interested in. Chances to chat during the day also include while doing household chores, in the car, at the store, waiting in a line, during bath time, during meals, or out on a walk. Listen to what your child says, answer questions, add new information, and listen some more!

Singing helps children hear that words are made up of smaller parts. This is an important skill for learning to read later on. You can build on your child's daily experiences by singing songs about them. Make up songs or rhymes with your child based on what they're doing, using familiar tunes. For example, in the car you could sing "Baby Jack is riding, Baby Jack is riding, to the store, to the store..." to the tune of Frere Jacques. Here's a great list of rhyme books to get you started. You'll find your child joining in with her own creations soon enough!

For decades, American libraries have been educating, entertaining and inspiring their communities with a range of services that continues to expand. But perhaps the most beloved of ongoing library programs is storytime for children. From classics like Blueberries for Sal to more recent favorites like Fancy Nancy, librarians have a knack for choosing great books that spark a lifelong love of reading through traditional narrative, music and movement.

But unlike years ago, storytime now reaches out to children of all ages, including babies and toddlers, because it's never too early to introduce your child to the magic of language. Have you checked out storytime at your local library? Visit our Birth to Six page to find more detailed descriptions of each type of storytime and schedules for libraries around the County.

It's never too early to help children start developing a love of books and reading. Read to Me videos show how easy and fun it can be for parents and caregivers to share books with babies and young children. Take a look at our Favorites for Babies and Favorites for Toddlers book lists to discover books that promote reading as a positive experience and encourage young children to want more.

Looking for something different to read with your children? Be sure to take a look at our New Picture Books list. You will be amazed by the variety of creative, fun, quirky, and sweet books that are available.

Did you notice that this week's featured Birth to Six book lists include nonfiction (information) books for young children? Nonfiction books are a great way for children to learn new words. Nonfiction books also help children learn more about the world, and this background knowledge helps your child understand more when he or she begins to read. If your child is on-the-go and doesn't want to sit still for very long, you can spend just a few minutes looking at a nonfiction book together. Animals, trucks, sports, space, flowers, states: these are just some of the many subjects you can explore with your child. At your next library visit ask for help finding nonfiction books to match your child's interest, or Ask Us via text, IM or e-mail.

When I was pregnant with my second child, there was one book that my oldest child loved to read. It was Julius, The Baby of the World, by Kevin Henkes. The story is about big sister Lilly who is NOT happy about the new addition to her family. My son didn't show any signs of jealousy or uncertainness about our upcoming arrival, but reading about Lilly's troubles -- over and over again -- was somehow helping him sift through his feelings. Just as Lilly embraces her big-sisterhood by the end of the story, my son is now 9 and is always a great big brother (even if his patience at times runs thin.) Whatever the major life or family shift of your young child, we have the booklist of librarian-selected books to help him or her through it. Check out all the lists under the heading Helping Kids Cope. And pay special attention to the ones your child wants to read again and again!

While spoken language may come more gradually, toddlers are rarely at a loss for expressive content. Every finger-painting, hummed song and tapped rhythm is means of growing emotionally and psychologically, as well as artistically.

In our list of Art and Music stories, we highlight authors who set the beat, color outside the lines and rock out. These are stories that celebrate aspiring artists and encourage creative thinking in their young readers. Personal favorites include the color-swapping Mouse Paint and the hilarious rock n'rollin' Punk Farm.

Inspire your children to love books by connecting reading to fun, hands-on activities. Start With a Book offers themed book lists paired with fun ideas to help children learn more and make connections between books and the world around them. Book lists on popular subjects like Dinosaurs and Bugs, Birds and Animals are sure to excite young children!

Did you know you can watch videos of Hennepin County librarians doing fingerplays on our website? Fingerplays, rhymes and songs promote early literacy by slowing down language so children can hear the different sounds that make up words. You can find more fun and easy things to do together with your children to help them get ready to read on our early literacy page.

Exploring the outdoors is a great way to build on your child's understanding of the world around her. Research shows that the greater a child's background knowledge, the greater his comprehension once he is reading. So when you are looking for butterflies, investigating animal tracks, even splashing in the lake together with your child-- you are actually building their reading comprehension skills! Who knew school preparation could be so much fun? And don't forget to check out some of the many engaging Science and Nature books your library has just for young children.

Storytime is a multi-faceted adventure both for readers and audiences. Children's responses to books can range from silent awe to uproarious laughter, but whatever the reaction, we aim to make storytelling a living, breathing experience, rather than a passive one. One of the best ways to involve children in a book is to allow them to tell the story; some of the best books for creative storytelling are wordless books.

Popular wordless authors like Barbara Lehman and Alexandra Day leave the door open for individual interpretation by providing expressive illustrations that guide the reader, but it is up to the reader to fill in the narrative gaps. What does your child notice in the pictures? What is really happening in this scene? Try switching places with your child with these extraordinary tales. Sometimes it's most enjoyable to be on the receiving end of a great story.

Talk together. Sing together. Read together. Write together. Play together. Sounds simple, right? It is, and fun! Our early literacy page explains how these five playful and simple ways help prepare your children to become readers.

Karaoke isn't just for grownups! You and your child will love singing along with classic songs like "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" and "The Wheels on The Bus" featured on Baby Karaoke. These charming animated videos include words and actions and are fun for toddlers and preschoolers, too. Singing together is a great way to prepare children to become readers. Songs, rhymes and fingerplays slow down language so children can hear the different sounds that make up words.

Pediatricians recommend reading to your child at least fifteen minutes a day.  But if you have a toddler or an active youngster, finding a calm 15 minutes can seem like a large task. This is especially true in the summer when so many activities compete for a youngsters' time.  Now is a great time to read on the run. Keep a few short books on hand, in the basket of the tricycle or in the beach bag. You can read one while you put on sunscreen or wait for  the water in the kiddie pool to warm up. A book of nursery rhymes or poems works well, too. If you read for one minute at a time, every time you re-hydrate, you'll easily get in those 15 minutes a day.

Memorial Day weekend is a time to honor our country's military personnel and their families, which often include young children. The reassuring books on our Helping Kids Cope: Military Parents book list can help children deal with the complicated emotions they might have with deployment and reunion.

Do you find it surprising that you still remember what comes after "Good night, mush?"  Or what Tikki Tikki Tembo's full name is?  It's no coincidence that we have retained phrases such as these, because often the most formative books from our childhood have something in common: repetition.  Stories with repeated phrases become easy favorites as preschoolers feel more involved with the story and relish knowing what comes next.  Whether it's building on the first phrase, such as in Jump, Frog, Jump, or coming back to the book's chorus, as in Millions of Cats, young children will come to learn, process and thrive on the worlds they discover.  You can discover some of these worlds by visiting our Word Patterns List on the Birth to Six page.

In honor of Mother's Day, we recommend one of the most endearing mother-child stories around: Margaret Wise Brown's The Runaway Bunny. It tells the story of Little Bunny, who imagines elaborate travel plans and wonders if his mother will follow him. But she assures him that no matter where he goes or what he does, she will always be there to bring him safely home.

With so many flashy new books to choose from, sometimes the classics get overlooked. Don't pass up the opportunity to share this gem with your little bunny! For other stories that have stood the test of time, check out Librarian Favorites: Classics List.

Celebrate the beauty of May flowers with our Fingerplays of the Month. Every month we feature different fingerplays, action rhymes, or songs for you to share with young children. These fun and easy activities are great ways to help children develop skills that will help them get ready to read. Singing and rhyming increase children's awareness of and sensitivity to the sounds in words. You can find more nursery rhymes and fingerplays in books and CDs at your library.

Celebrate the love of books with Bookspeak! by Laura Purdie Salas. This whimsical poetry book for young children was recently honored as the 2012 Minnesota Book Award for Children's Literature winner. Find lists of more award-winning and librarian-recommended picture books young children will love. 

St. Louis Park Librarian Kelly S. recommends Stuck by Oliver Jeffers. Floyd’s kite is stuck in a tree, testing his problem solving skills and causing all out calamity! How would you get a kite out of a tree? Oh, you wouldn’t throw a cat, chair, and gorilla up after it? Would you try a ladder? Floyd tried that– when he threw it in the tree it got stuck too. The book has many wonderful opportunities to question listeners about the book, asking “what would you do” questions and asking if they think Floyd’s efforts will work. The childlike illustrations increase the silliness of the book and add to the appeal. The illustrations also fit with a fun activity, encourage children to draw out the story line after reading the book. When children draw lines and shapes they are learning early writing skills. Check out the ELSIE (Early Literacy Storytime Ideas Exchange) book list for more great picture book recommendations from HCL librarians. 

Did you know there is a bimonthly Birth to Six newsletter? Every issue highlights fun books, fingerplays, and songs to share with young children. The April issue features bunny books. Be sure to sign up to receive the newsletter by e-mail.

Need help choosing books for young children? Discover how photos, textures, big bold words, and other fun features make books even more enjoyable and valuable for children. 

Looking for some great new children's picture books that celebrate our multicultural world? Then don't miss Same, Same But Different and Tia Isa Wants a Car. Both of these charming and colorful books were awarded 2012 Ezra Jack Keats Awards for new authors and illustrators. Many past winners are also available at Hennepin County Library. 

Read to Me videos show how easy and fun it can be for parents and caregivers to share books with babies and young children. Not sure what books to choose? There are many wonderful books for babies available at the library. Just ask a librarian if you need any help.

Are you a fan of actress Betty White? At Storyline Online you and your child can enjoy watching her read the classic children's book Harry the Dirty Dog. Children will also delight in stories read by James Earl Jones and Jason Alexander featured on this fun site.

Animated, talking picture books are available online and for iPads and iPhones through TumbleBook Library. These engaging ebooks for children are always available (no checkouts or reserve lists) through the library's website. (You will need to enter your library barcode number to access TumbleBook from a computer outside the library). TumbleBooks are also available in Spanish and French.