'Mommy's Best Kisses'
By Margaret Anastas, illustrated by Susan Winter, $6.99, ages newborn to 5
Moms in the animal kingdom say "I love you" with kisses in this sweet little board book. Illustrations include an ostrich mom ("I kiss your pink knees while you laugh and you wiggle") and hippo mom (I kiss your rosy cheeks and you gurgle with glee). Human mom offers a goodnight kiss at the end, with a promise that tomorrow "we'll start all over again!"
'Fine as We Are'
By Algy Craig Hall, $14.95, ages 4 to 8
Little Frog is happy that it's just him and his mom on the pond but wishes he had someone to play leapfrog with, so he says "sure" when mom asks whether he'd like a sibling. Until the little blobs he sees in the water grow squiggly tails, then a whole bunch of baby sisters and brothers materialize to crowd and annoy him. Big brother takes a firm hand and ends up having loads of fun.
'Mama's Saris'
By Pooja Makhijani, illustrated by Elena Gomez, $16.99, ages 3 to 6
It's daughter's seventh birthday and mom pulls her suitcase of carefully folded saris from under her bed to dress up for the party. Daughter doesn't take no for an answer when mom says she's not old enough to wear one as well. Lushly illustrated, there are saris in yellow satin, red wedding saris and the most special of all, a fiery orange one. Makhijani includes a glossary of Hindi words.
— Leanne Italie, Associated Press
