Giving books to children at any time is a wonderful, important and valuable gift. The gift of a book sends a direct message to the child that you value reading.

And, there's truth in the adage that a book is the only gift you can open again and again. So, this holiday season make sure to include books for the special children in your life.

To simplify the seemingly endless choices, below you'll find a quick reference guide that will direct you to some of the best books on the market. For additional ideas, go to Greatest Books for Kids (www.greatestbooksforkids.com). Save time and money by purchasing books that are first-rate.

Birth–age 2“Lots of Lambs: A Touch, Feel, Flip, and Fun Book!” by Laura Numeroff, illustrated by Lynn Munsinger, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2012, 20 pages, $9.99 hardcover. Lambs are everywhere in the jaunty little rhyming book that explores opposites. With many textures to touch and feel, flaps to lift or open, and a wheel to turn, this delightful book will have little children engaged on every page.“Gossie & Friends Gift Set” written and illustrated by Olivier Dunrea, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2012, 5 mini board books, 30 pages each and puzzle tiles, $14.99 boxed set. Meet the irrepressible goslings – Gossie, Gertie, Peedie, BooBoo, and Ollie – and join them on their adventures.Whether it's Peedie trying to find his lucky red baseball cap, BooBoo who eats some bubbles that cause a great surprise, or Gossie's beloved red boots that are missing, the friendship between Gossie and Gertie, or waiting for Ollie to hatch out of his egg, these five fun books with their simple story lines and endearing illustrations are certain to be a hit with toddlers.“One Sheep, Blue Sheep” by Thom Wiley, illustrated by Ben Mantle, Cartwheel Books/Scholastic, 2012, 12 pages, $6.99 board book. One day, five silly sheep “…with fleece as white as snow…” didn't stay white for very long. It began with the farmer who tripped, launching a can of red paint on top of one of his sheep. But the paint fiasco didn't stop there. One after another, each of the farmer's sheep turned a different color–blue, yellow, green and then purple! The farmer didn't know at first what to do with his colored sheep, but then an idea came to him…A rhyming story that is both a counting and color book, this selection is lots of educational fun.

“A Flower in the Snow” by Tracey Corderoy, illustrated by Sophie Allsopp, Sourcebooks, 2012, 32 pages, $16.99 hardcover. Luna and her polar bear friend, Bear, are best friends. One day Bear finds a beautiful yellow flower growing in the snow.Bear picks it, gives it to Luna, and Luna is pleased. But when the flower finally wilts, Luna's smile disappears.Bear is determined to find Luna another flower. But despite how far Bear travels, he can't find a flower. Meanwhile, Luna misses Bear and worries for his safety. When the two are finally reunited, they both realize that what they need more than anything is simply one another.A lovely story of friendship supported by endearing illustrations, this gentle tale is special, indeed.“The Adventures of Little Nutbrown Hare” written and illustrated by Sam McBratney, Candlewick, 2012, 66 pages, $16.99 hardcover. Joined together in this lovely volume are four new stories about the exuberant young rabbit, Little Nutbrown Hare, and the wise and loving Big Nutbrown Hare.The two discover exciting places, from the Hiding Tree, what is on Cloudy Mountain and in the Far Field, and that the best place of all is Coming Home.A story of love, this choice will demand repeated readings.“Little Chick: Three Little Stories” by Amy Hest, illustrated by Anita Jeram, Candlewick, 2012, 16 pages each, $9.99 board books boxed set. The exuberant, cheerful Little Chick and her loving and wise Old Auntie appear in these three delightful stories, perfect for toddlers who are eager to grow up.In “The Carrot That Would Not Grow,” “The Kite That Would Not Fly,” and “The Starry Night,” Little Chick is innocently impatient for things to happen.Her Old Auntie is there at the right moment to encourage Little Chick with a bit of wisdom that helps Little Chick feel good about herself, and to understand that patience has its place and that sometimes there are things that are best left the way they are.These three books are charming stories with a dash of magical wisdom that children will love.<b>Ages 6–7</b>“Goldilocks and the Three Bears and the 33 Bears and the Bliim and the Furniture and Lots More Variations” by Allan Ahlberg, illustrated by Jessica Ahlberg, Candlewick, 2012, 50 pages, $17 hardcover. This highly creative take on the traditional “Goldilocks and the Three Bears” story goes beyond anything you might imagine. Beginning with the classic story with a bit more modern language, each story that follows is a different (and very funny) variation of what Goldilocks is up to and the crazy things that happen to her.Magical illustrations, pop-ups, tabs to pull, and a book within the book combine to make this selection enchanting and funny.“Return of the Library Dragon” by Carmen Agra Deedy, illustrated by Michael White, Peachtree, 2012, 32 pages, $16.95 hardcover. The librarian at Sunrise Elementary, Miss Lotty, has decided to retire after 557 years of faithful service. The students are upset that she is leaving, but there is more trouble on the horizon: someone has decided to remove all the books from the library and convert everything to machines: Media World; Sunrise Cybrary! The man in charge of making this transformation assures Miss Lotty this will be better and that soon kids won't remember what a book looks like. This infuriates Miss Lotty beyond her control, and she starts to turn into her dragon self, and starts eating the equipment…A hilarious book with a cautionary message about the value of making sure electronics don't replace physical books, this story is awesome.“Toads on Toast” by Linda Bailey, illustrated by Colin Jack, Kids Can Press, 2012, 32 pages, $16.95 hardcover. Fox was bored with his daily routine of going to the pond, catching a fat toad, boil it and eat it. He needed a change.When Fox went to the cookbook store, he was amazed at how many recipes he found to prepare toads. But each recipe specifically called for small, young toads, not the large ones. So that evening, Fox caught a large sack of young toads, but as he was about to make his dinner, Mother Toad came flying in through the window to save her children. At first Fox couldn't be convinced not to fry up the little toads, but eventually Mother Toad persuaded Fox to try her secret delicious recipe for Toad-in-a-Hole (that doesn't have a thing to do with toads)!A funny story that also subtly suggests the trying of new things, this story will be enjoyed by kids and their parents.

“I Don't Believe it, Archie” by Andrew Norriss, illustrated by Hannatt Shaw, David Fickling Books, 2012, 124 pages, $12.99 hardcover.Odd things are always happening to Archie, and sometimes they are especially odd. For example, on the way to mail a letter, a piano rolls down the street, traps a girl driving her mother's car, then a truck carrying gravel buries the car.A sequence of further bizarre events has Archie miraculously saving the day and making a new friend (the girl in the car, Cyd).Cyd thinks Archie's odd adventures are exciting, and wants to hang out with him. And just like Archie said, it is a week of one crazy thing happening after another.“How to Be a Detective: Search for Clues, Analyze the Evidence, and Solve the Case!” by Dan Waddell, illustrated by Jim Smith, Candlewick, 2012, 22 pages, $19.99 hardcover.For kids who think they might want to be the next Sherlock Holmes, this book gives budding detectives the low-down on how to become just that.With hilarious illustrations combine with engaging, fast-paced text and loads of flaps to lift, extra booklets within the book, an ink pad for taking fingerprints, the equipment and instructions to make your own periscope, this choice provides hours of awesome fun.“I Have a Dream” by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., illustrated by Kadir Nelson, Schwartz & Wade, 2012, 34 pages, $18.99 hardcov nation and gave one of the most powerful speeches in American history. He called on Americans to join him in his dream for freedom and equality and peace for all Americans, regardless of the color of their skin, their religion, their age.Paired with the magnificent paintings of Kadir Nelson, this offering is as stirring as it is important. This marvelous selection comes with King's speech in its entirety at the back of the book and also with an audio CD of King's speech as was heard on Aug. 28, 1963.

“Behind the Bookcase” by Mark Steensland, illustrated by Kelly Murphy, Delacourt, 2012, 265 pages, $16.99 hardcover.Sarah's Grandma Winnie has died, so she and her family have moved to her grandmother's home for the summer to fix it up and sell it. This isn't something Sarah thinks will be interesting, but not long after their arrival, Sarah discovers an unfinished letter her grandmother wrote that says strange things were happening behind the bookcase.What she stumbles upon is beyond her wildest imaginings — a strange and often frightening place called Scotopia where shadows come from.Befriended by a talking cat named Balthazat, she is lured into this dangerous world. It rapidly becomes clear that not everyone is to be trusted and that Sarah must be the one to rescue her brother Billy, her new-found friends, and a world she hadn't realized she was destined to save.“Will Sparrow's Road” by Karen Cushman, Clarion, 2012, 216 pages, $16.99 hardcover.Elizabethan England finds young Will Sparrow alone, hungry and barefoot. His father had sold him for a beer, and before he could be sold again, Will runs away, declaring “I care for no one but myself and nothing but my belly!”Being careful to avoid detection and capture, Will encounters some colorful characters in his quest to find food and shelter, but some of those people trick Will with the assurance of food that never materializes. Vowing never to trust anyone again, it's lucky for Will that he can't keep his own promise.“Cleopatra: Queen of Egypt” by Clint Twist, illustrated by Ian Andrew, Diz Wallis, and Eloise A. Lambert, Templar Books/Candlewick, 2012, 30 pages, $19.99 hardcover.Cleopatra VII ruled Egypt over 2,000 years ago. Her intelligence and cunning immortalized her, and this fascinating book provides a detailed look at who she was, what issues she dealt with to protect her country from dominion by the Roman Empire, and the allies she fostered to accomplish her goals.Interspersed with fictional extracts of a memoir Cleopatra may have made and brimming with wonderful artwork and extra booklets throughout, this well-written book will have readers enhanced from what they will learn about this powerful queen and the history of that time period.<b>Age 12 and older</b>“The Dogs of Winter” by Bobbie Pyron, Arthur A. Levine Books, 2012, 312 pages, $16.99 hardcover. Inspired by and based on a true story, Bobbie Pyron has written an incredible story of a small boy who, after his mother disappears, is abandoned on the streets of Moscow. With little clothing to keep him warm, nothing to eat, and nowhere to shelter him, Ivan finds himself adopted by a pack of street dogs. The dogs protect him and become his family, and together they roam the city and countryside in search of food and warmth. Ultimately, theirs becomes a bond stronger than many human families.“Dead Cat Bounce” by Nic Bennett, Penguin, 2012, 345 pages, $17.99 hardcover. When Jonah Lightbody was twelve, he joined his father on the trading floor of the aggressive London investment bank, “Hellcat,” for “bring your child to work” day. The relationship between Jonah and his father was strained at best, so when the hotshot trader who calls himself the Baron offered to take Jonah under his wing for the day, Jonah's father reluctantly agreed. Little did his father know that the Baron would take a sincere interest in Jonah's abilities and, over the next several years (unbeknownst to Jonah's father) teach Jonah how to get rich–fast.Four years later, Jonah is in over his head. The Baron's interest in Jonah and his financial savvy have escalated, and the Baron wants Jonah as a part of a secret, evil organization that generates untold wealth illegally and has the potential to create global economic disaster. When Jonah's father realizes what is going down and the deadly stakes that are at play, the two are determined to uncover the clandestine organization and put an end to it. But that will be harder and more dangerous than they think.'Who Could That Be At This Hour?' All the Wrong Questions” by Lemony Snicket, Little, Brown, 258, $15.99 hardcover. Twelve-year-old Lemony Snicket is a new recruit to a secret organization whose mission is to uncover the truth and set things right. On his first assignment as an apprentice, Snicket is working under the direction of S. Theodora Markson, an agent of very poor ranking (as Snicket's research uncovers). Their first assignment is in the bizarre town aptly named Stain's-by-the-Sea where a priceless item has been stolen and must be returned to the “rightful” owner.“Rightful” is the key word here, since, in the author's usual style, the endless twists and turns on every page and often every line will have readers engaged, laughing, and trying to figure out what is really happening.

E-MAIL PHOTO / PUB DATE 1204/Artwork for Holiday Gift Guide 2012 from Kendal