Random House/Knopf

Children's Bookwatch, March, 2005

Random House/Knopf

1745 Broadway, New York, NY 10019

1-800-726-0600 randomhouse.com/kids

Two excellent collections are recommended picks for parents seeking read-aloud choices the entire family can enjoy. The Helen Oxenbury Nursery Collection (037582992X, $19.95) is the perfect choice for parents seeking tried-and-true nursery stories and rhymes, illustrated by Helen Oxenbury. From 'Tiny Tim' to 'Goldilocks' to the less familiar but also classic 'The Turnip', Helen Oxenbury Nursery Collection's blend of rhymes and tales offers satisfying diversity. Janet Schulman and Cathy Goldsmith's Your Favorite Seuss (0375810617, $34.95) offers up a weighty 'baker's dozen' by Dr. Seuss, celebrating his hundredth birthday by gathering thirteen of his best-loved classics under one cover, from his first book And To Think That I Saw It On Mulberry Street to his last Oh, The Places You'll Go!, plus the Cat and old favorites. Brief essays by fans of Seuss offer additional inspiration along the way, while the compilation by Dr. Seuss' editor and art director, respectively, at Random House for the last eleven years of his life adds authority and experience to the choices and presentation. Two new 'Little Golden' collections are anything but the slim picturebooks of childhood: presented under thick hardcovers ($14.95 each) are two launches representing a new line of deluxe editions with gold edged pages, sturdy binding, and a wealth of original illustrations and stories. Animal Tales (0375831282) gathers and reprints twelve classic stories from Tawny Scrawny Lion to Saggy Baggy Elephant, with the classic works by Margaret Wise Brown and others enjoying their original illustrators. Sleepytime Tales (0375831274) is a bedside companion packing in all those classics of early childhood, from 'The Sleepy Book' to 'Good Night, Little Bear'. The artwork's feature in keepsake editions makes for highly recommended pieces.