Mouse Tales (by Arnold Lobel)

Nearly every page of this collection is fresh and funny. The framed illustrations help establish the fairy tale-like setting of a house near the woods on a snowy night. The implicit dangers of the cold and unknown world outside are offset by the comforting presence of Papa Mouse in his bathrobe, polka-dotted pajamas, and bedroom slippers. Papa Mouse models loving behavior in the way he relates to his wife and children: He sees his children off to sleep and then joins his wife for a nice cup of tea before the fire.

The stories provide an excellent transition from the read-aloud stage to reading alone, giving this collection what one parent calls "a long shelf life." Parents will love reading these stories (and, later on, listening as their children read them) again and again.