Handpicked by Our Editors

Testing the Ice: A True Story About Jackie Robinson
Age 5+
4

Testing the Ice: A True Story About Jackie Robinson

Why We Recommend It

Jackie Robinson was special on the baseball field and off. His daughter's bio of the slugger-as-dad emphasizes courage.

Read our full review
Picture books for children help build life-long readers.

Among the greatest advantages you can give your children, books and an early introduction to reading can build vocabulary and offer wonderful together time. Preschoolers are little sponges, and they'll absorb every word of every book for kids we share with them.

A great place to start: Look for books that you will love to read over and over again, since young children are soothed and comforted by the familiar.

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New Book Reviews for Preschoolers (ages 2-4)

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Otis by Loren Long
Parents Need to Know...

there is nothing of concern in this gentle story. Sensitive kids might be anxious during the climactic scene as farmers and firefighters try to save a calf from drowning in mud, but all ends well, of course. read more

Age 3+
Otis
4
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Merry Christmas, Splat! by Rob Scotton
Parents Need to Know...

there’s nothing to worry about in this holiday story. Parents might grumble at Splat’s focus on getting a big present, but that provides an opening to talk with your kids about the value of a gift. read more

Age 3+
Merry Christmas, Splat!
3
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Four Friends at Christmas by Tomie dePaola
Parents Need to Know...

that this cute, simple story of friendship and Christmas celebration was previously one of four stories, the one entitled Winter, contained in Tomie de Paola's Four Stories for Four Seasons. read more

Age 4+
Four Friends at Christmas
4
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The Mitten (20th Anniversary Edition) by Jan Brett
Parents Need to Know...

that this 20th anniversary edition is a beautiful book, and one to be treasured, both for the sweetness of the story and the detailed artwork that illustrates it.  read more

Age 4+
The Mitten (20th Anniversary Edition)
5
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'Twas the Night Before Christmas by Clement Clarke Moore
Parents Need to Know...

there’s nothing of concern in this rendering of the well-known holiday poem. Young children may need some help understanding some of the language -- the poem was written nearly 200 years ago -- but they’ll have no trouble ... read more

Age 4+
'Twas the Night Before Christmas
2
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A Pussycat's Christmas by Margaret Wise Brown
Parents Need to Know...

there is nothing to be concerned about in this charming holiday tale. read more

Age 3+
A Pussycat's Christmas
4
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The Sound of Kwanzaa by Dimitrea Tokunbo
Parents Need to Know...

that whether or not they celebrate Kwanzaa, this picture book has a positive message for readers. read more

Age 4+
The Sound of Kwanzaa
4
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The Gingerbread Pirates by Kristin Kladstrup
Parents Need to Know...

there is nothing to be concerned about in this book. The pirate captain carries a cutlass, but it’s never used (it’s nibbled by a mouse). The gingerbread pirates are scared that Santa Claus is going to eat them, but all ends well. read more

Age 4+
The Gingerbread Pirates
3
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The Christmas Magic by Lauren Thompson
Parents Need to Know...

that there is nothing to be concerned about in this heartfelt holiday tale. Families feeling burned out by holiday commercialism will find some respite here. read more

Age 4+
The Christmas Magic
5
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Winter's Tail: How One Little Dolphin Learned to Swim Again by Isabella Hatkoff, Juliana Hatkoff
Parents Need to Know...

there is nothing of concern in this animal tale. It opens with a badly wounded dolphin caught in a crab trap, but doesn't dwell on the details of her injuries. The rest of the book focuses on positive developments in her rehabilitation. ... read more

Age 4+
Winter's Tail: How One Little Dolphin Learned to Swim Again
3
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How Do You Wokka-Wokka? by Elizabeth Bluemle
Parents Need to Know...

there is nothing of concern in this fun book. read more

Age 3+
How Do You Wokka-Wokka?
3
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What Sisters Do Best/What Brothers Do Best
Parents Need to Know...

that this book reads two ways: from the point of view of what sisters do best, and then brothers.  read more

Age 4+
What Sisters Do Best/What Brothers Do Best
3
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Finn Throws a Fit by David Elliott
Parents Need to Know...

that this book does a great job of showing just how fleeting, yet all-absorbing, a kid's fit can be. It includes a nice message for kids that parents will love you no matter how bad a fit can get. read more

Age 3+
Finn Throws a Fit
4
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Dark Night by Dorothee de Monfreid
Parents Need to Know...

this sly book is quite dark at the beginning -- the young, quaking hero seems to be in a tough spot. But the rest of the story will ease any jitters and get kids giggling as fears are conquered. There’s not much of concern here -- just ... read more

Age 3+
Dark Night
4
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Harry and Horsie by Katie Van Camp
Parents Need to Know...

there is nothing of concern in this book. Instead of going to sleep, Harry plays with his Super Duper Bubble Blooper and laughs as the bubbles float his toys away. When Horsie gets picked up in a bubble, however, he goes on a rescue ... read more

Age 3+
Harry and Horsie
4
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Over in the Hollow by Rebecca Dickinson
Parents Need to Know...

this slightly spooky book is a Halloween take on the Olive A. Wadsworth’s counting rhyme, “Over in the Meadow.” The werewolf, witch, and monster denizens of this night world are neither too cute nor too scary. read more

Age 3+
Over in the Hollow
4
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A Book of Sleep by Il Sung Na
Parents Need to Know...

there is nothing of concern in this lovely picture book. Night is a peaceful, content time here -- there’s nothing to fear in the dark. read more

Age 2+
A Book of Sleep
5
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Tess's Tree by Jess Brallier
Parents Need to Know...

this gentle book deals head-on with loss, walking young children through the process of grieving and teaching them how to heal and move on. The loss in this case is a tree, but to Tess it’s like losing a beloved playmate. read more

Age 4+
Tess's Tree
5
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The Yellow Tutu by Kirsten Bramsen
Parents Need to Know...

there’s nothing to worry about it in this book. Margo’s classmates greet her with jeers when she arrives at school with her tutu on her head, and one child tries to pull it off her head. Margo stays positive, however, and a friend ... read more

Age 4+
The Yellow Tutu
3
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Cat Dreams by Ursula K. Le Guin
Parents Need to Know...

there's nothing of concern in this gentle picture book. read more

Age 2+
Cat Dreams
3
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Moonlight: The Halloween Cat
Parents Need to Know...

this is a comforting, not creepy, Halloween book for very young children. There are no ghosts, goblins, or things that go bump in the night. In the eyes of Moonlight the cat, jack o’lanterns wear friendly smiles, scarecrows offer laps ... read more

Age 2+
Moonlight: The Halloween Cat
4
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