The Boy with Two Belly Buttons

by Stephen J. Dubner, illustrated by Christoph Niemann

HarperCollins, $12

This book's title character thinks nothing strange of having two navels—until his baby sister is born and he learns that one is, in fact, the norm. He embarks on a quest to find somebody else like him, or at least an explanation for why he is different. Surprisingly, he finds neither. The moral is apropos for Dubner, coauthor of the best seller Freakonomics: Being a statistical anomaly doesn't need to make you an outcast—it can make you interesting.

Cowboy and Octopus

by Jon Scieszka, illustrated by Lane Smith

Viking, $12

Much as they skewered the folktale in their modern classic The Stinky Cheese Man, Scieszka and Lane here lampoon the cliché of the "buddy book." The unlikely pair destined to become best friends are not only different species, and staples of genres that have no relation to each other—they're both two-dimensional, literally: Cowboy is a paper doll, while Octopus is an illustration cut from a comic book (you even see snippets of other cartoon panels when he turns his back). Without ever changing positions or facial expressions, the pair manage to cast off loads of personality. Their "adventures" tend to revolve around the type of corny joke that makes parents groan and leaves first-graders in stitches—but in a book that purposely looks as if it's been designed by someone who still wears superhero pajamas, that's all part of the very well-conceived gag.—Ages 4 and up

Donkey-Donkey

by Roger Duvoisin

Knopf, $16

Among classic kid-lit authors, Roger Duvoisin doesn't have the name recognition of, say, a Margaret Wise Brown or a Robert McCloskey. But the Swiss writer-illustrator had his name on the cover of some 140 books in his day, most notably the Happy Lion series. Donkey-Donkey, first published in 1933 but unavailable since the '70s, revolves around (you guessed it) a donkey who sees his reflection in a pond and is shocked to discover his long, ungainly ears. His farm-animal pals try to help by suggesting various ear-wearing techniques (down like a dog's, forward like a pig's, etc.), but each ends in disaster. The book's language has a quaint, endearing straightforwardness, and Duvoisin's pen-and-watercolor illustrations are eminently accessible to young children. Adults seeing them today, even for the first time, will be quickly transported back to their own children's-book days.—Ages 2 to 6

Duck                          

Randy Cecil,
Candlewick, $11

Enhanced by beautiful oil-painted illustrations, this tale of a wooden carousel duck who adopts a lost real duckling slides effortlessly between heartbreaking and heartwarming: When the fake duck realizes she can't teach her charge to fly with her nonfunctional wings, she decides he'd be better off with real ducks. Love and sacrifice may be heady themes for preschoolers, but the raw emotion here will be unmistakable to any reader. —Ages 3 to 7

I'd Really Like to Eat a Child

by Sylviane Donnio, illustrated by Dorothée de Monfreid

Random House, $15

Many books feature children who won't eat a proper meal, but this one has an unusual spin: Its protagonist, a young crocodile, refuses to devour anything but a human child. His parents offer him bananas, sausages, even chocolate cake, to no avail. Then he goes to look for his own two-legged lunch—and finds that he's no match for a 6-year-old girl. Most kids will be up for the dark, tongue-in-cheek humor, especially since their parents will be laughing out loud.—Ages 3 to 6

I'm the Biggest Thing in the Ocean

by Kevin Sherry

Dial, $17

Size matters—at least to a giant squid. This book's main character roams the seas, cheerfully pointing out that he is bigger than every shrimp, turtle, and shark he encounters. So self-assured is he that he continues to trumpet his size even after being unceremoniously swallowed by an even more titanic whale. Smiles are guaranteed from this simple but playful tale. Bonus: Kids can relive it at bathtime with the accompanying tub stickers.—Ages 2 to 5

Little Boy with
a Big Horn

by Jack Bechdolt &
Dan Yaccarino

Golden Books, $15

This 1950 tale of a boy whose tuba playing makes him the town pariah (until he turns his oompahing toward some courageous heroics, that is) may be familiar to many of today's parents. In this new edition, the sweetly redemptive tale is jazzed up by new visuals. Yaccarino's nouveaux-retro illustrations maintain the feel of the original era while casting a decidedly modern aura over the story's quaint New England–y seaside town. If you ever wonder why publishers bother commissioning new art for old picture books—this is why.

Mary and the Mouse, the Mouse and Mary

by Beverly Donofrio, illustrated by Barbara McClintock

Schwartz & Wade, $13

This story tracks the silent friendship between a girl and a mouse, each too cautious to really reach out to the other. But the relationship stands all the way into adulthood, spanning decades, and once each has a daughter of her own, a new friendship begins to blossom. This is the rare children's book that's genuinely sweet without being the least bit treacly. And the evocative, detail-filled illustrations are ready-made to induce nostalgia in grown-up readers.—Ages 2 to 6

Not a Stick

by Antoinette Portis

HarperCollins, $13

"Hey, be careful with that stick," warns an outside-the-frame adult. "It's not a stick," replies the twig-bearing piglet, and immediately we are treated to a flash of the child's imagination, in which the branch has magically transformed into a fishing pole—with a great white shark at the end of the line. As the offscreen admonishments continue, Portis's spare, thick-lined drawings (which have a Harold and the Purple Crayon air about them) reveal the stick's many alter egos: paintbrush, sword, barbells, horse. The book is a wonderful ode to the power of make-believe.—Ages 3 to 5

The OK Book

by Amy Krouse Rosenthal, illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld

HarperCollins, $13

For kids who are hard on themselves, this book's protagonist, content at being merely okay at many things, could be an ideal role model. The stick figure, of refreshingly unclear gender, is literally an "OK" (rotate the word clockwise to get the idea), and the illustrations of his/her moderate ability at sledding or roasting marshmallows are often hilarious. But far from celebrating mediocrity, the book encourages readers to search for that special thing at which they truly excel.—Ages 2 to 5

Penguin

by Polly Dunbar

Candlewick, $13

It takes most children approximately 2.5 seconds to declare a new gift their absolute favorite thing in the whole entire world. And only slightly longer to become disillusioned and bored with it. Such common preschool angst is captured masterfully in this charming fable about Ben, a boy who is overjoyed to unwrap a penguin—until he realizes the bird won't speak. As Ben's frustration with his mute companion builds, his attempts to get the penguin to talk evolve from good-natured (tickling, dancing) to bitter (poking, teasing) to downright mean (trying to feed it to a lion). It's only when Ben's anger gets him into trouble that the penguin finally decides to express himself, in a very colorful way. Dunbar's drawing style is simple yet terrifically effective: She makes her characters say more with facial expressions and body language than most authors can achieve with full pages of text—somewhat ingenious in a book about poor communication.—Ages 2 to 6

Punk Farm on Tour

by Jarrett J. Krosoczka

Knopf, $11

What do the animals do when the farmer's away? Many children's books ask the question, but rarely does the answer include leather, spikes, and skull insignia. While Farmer Joe is at a tractor convention, barnyard quintet Punk Farm hits the road. As its members zip across the country from gig to gig, their ramshackle tour van experiences one breakdown after another. But their rock-and-roll spirit is irrepressible: Each setback merely serves as inspiration for a new song, and at venue after venue, they are met with rowdy enthusiasm by their adoring animal fans. These pigs, sheep, and cows really know how to rock—and Krosoczka's paintings have such a wild, kinetic energy that when Punk Farm is onstage, you can almost hear the music. (Hear it "for real" at punkfarm.com.)

Scribble

by Deborah Freedman

Knopf, $16

If you're like most parents, your home's walls (and doors and appliances) are decked with countless crayon-on- construction-paper masterpieces. Creating artwork has special meaning for a child, and for many the pictures even take on lives of their own. That concept gets some mischievous élan in this imaginative book, which begins with two sisters, Emma and Lucie, sketching a regal-looking princess and a rudimentary kitty cat, respectively. When Emma criticizes her drawing, Lucie retaliates by scribbling all over her older sibling's. Emma runs off to tattle, at which point the rules of reality are giddily dispensed with: lucie's cat decides to set things right, enlisting his creator in untangling the scribble that now surrounds the enchanted beauty. Freedman has a lot of fun with the illustrations, letting the realistically drawn human characters mingle with the two-dimensional scribbles to create a Roger Rabbit–meets–Harold and the Purple Crayon effect.—Ages 2 to 6

Toy Boat

by Randall de Sève, illustrated by Loren Long

Philomel, $12

After accidentally floating out to the middle of a lake, the shoebox-size title vessel (lovingly fashioned from a tin can, a pencil, cork, and cloth) is determined to sail back to the little boy who created it. The boat's storm-tossed trip home is vividly depicted, as are the menacing sloops, speedboats, and ferries that get in her way. But have no fear: This inspiring underdog tale will deliver the happy ending your kids are hoping for.—Ages 3 to 6

There Was a Man Who Loved a Rat

by Gerda Rovetch,
illustrated by Lissa Rovetch
(Philomel, $15)

If Prelutsky is a little too wholesome for your wicked wee ones, look to 83-year-old first time author Rovetch, whose limerick collection features such bizarre scenarios as a baker who makes snake bread, a man who adopts an abandoned kidney, and another who stores sardines in his slacks. The poet's daughter Lissa, provides black-and-white illustrations reminiscent of Edward Gorey.—Ages 5 and up