Picture books galore for young readers …

Take Me to Your BBQ

By Kathy Duval
Illustrated by Adam McCauley
Hyperion/Disney. $16.99 (Ages 4 and older)

Get ready for some extraterrestrial fun as you visit Willy’s farm for a little barbecue. You aren’t the only one interested in some delicious charred meat, chili, taters and greens. Nope, not by a long shot!

Look overhead and you’ll see a UFO with a big light shining down on Willy’s yard. When the little green aliens climb out of their space machine they explain they’re here to sample some delicious BBQ and afterwards they want to hear Willy play his fiddle.

Then, with a stroke of daring, Willy turns the tables on his guests. He hops in their spaceship and takes off for a little celestial holiday while the “greenies” have to stay on his farm and tend the fields.

After reading this silly story, if you have a hankering for Willy’s BBQ, you’ll find the recipe for his special sauce on the back page. Be very careful, though, because if any extraterrestrials get a whiff of the aroma while you are using it on the grill, you may find a spaceship in your backyard!

Now I’m Big!

By Karen Katz
McElderry. $15.99. (Ages 2-5)

This bright, bouncy picture book features all sorts of things that babies can’t do that toddlers can. “When I was a baby Daddy put on my booties and snapped my snaps,” explains the story’s narrator. “Now I’m big! I can snap my snaps and zip my zippers all by myself.”

As you turn the pages and look at the oversized illustrations here, you’ll see a number of things that prove the babies are now old enough to do many things for themselves.

Drinking from a bottle and using just fingers has now given way to using a cup for milk and a fork and spoon for food. Diapers have been replaced by real underpants and no longer having to crawl on the floor, Baby can run, jump and spin.

“When I was a baby I played by myself in a pen. Now I’m big! I can play with lots of friends in the park,” explains Baby. “When I was a baby Mommy pushed me in a stroller. Now I’m big! I can ride my own bike and I walk with Mommy, but I always hold her hand.”

The biggest change of all, though, is that “Now that I’m big! I sleep by myself in my own bed and now I have a new baby sister!” And with that change guess who helps the new arrival put on her booties, wash her face and drink from a bottle? Of course, it is the BIG GIRL who is featured in this book!

Not only will this book appeal to younger children who are able to do more things for themselves but it is also ideal for families where another youngster is on the way.

Uh-oh, Baby!

By Nancy Coffelt
Illustrated by Scott Nash
Aladdin. $16.99 (Ages 4-8)

This book has a very limited text but the illustrations tell you everything you need to know. Ruddy’s mother is celebrating her birthday and the little boy wants to give her the best gift ever. But every time he comes up with something, “Uh-oh!” something goes wrong.

First Ruddy captures a Ladybug, but when he opens his hands, it flies away. Then he makes a tower of blocks for his mom, but “CRASH!”, it tumbles over. Ruddy takes his paint set and makes Mom some really cool pictures and tapes them up on the wall. “Wooosh!” The wind blows them down.

Finally, Grandpa and Ruddy come up with the perfect gift for Mom. When she sees it all his mother can say is, “It’s WOW, Rudy. And so are YOU!” What is this special gift? You’ll have to get a copy of “Uh-oh, Baby!” to see for yourself. You won’t be disappointed because it is a very special and sweet surprise!

Part-time Princess: Girl by Day. Princess by Night

By Deborah Underwood
Illustrated by Cambria Evans
Hyperion/Disney. $16.99 (Ages 3 and up)

During the day, she’s like any other little girl. The little girl in this picture book goes to school, has to deal with a little brother and has chores and homework to do. But, at night after her mom tucks her in, suddenly this all changes and the child becomes a princess.

A sparkling crown appears on her head, a magic staircase rolls down from her window and a coach awaits the young princess. She hops in and off she goes because there is much she has to do. This part-time princess has a fire to put out in the castle and a pesky dragon to deal with. When those tasks are completed, there’s lunch with the queen, a game of leapfrog (with real frogs), and then a bath because tonight is the royal ball.

Besides greeting all the guests, the part-time princess amuses the troop of big, hairy trolls who show up. No matter, though, because she knows the trolls love to dance so she calls, “Strike up the band!” and whirls across the floor with the head troll.

Of course, when her evening’s work is finished, the part-time princess heads back to her bedroom because soon it will be time to get up and start another day,

If there is a little princess in your household, odds are she’ll love this amusing tale about a child who has to balance two jobs but does so admirably.

Black Dog

By Levi Pinfold
Templar/Candlewick. $ 15.99 (Ages 4-7)

When Mr. Hope looks out the kitchen window one day he sees a black dog. “My goodness!” he says. “There’s a black dog the size of a tiger outside my house!” He calls the police but they just laugh and tell him to not go outside.

Then Mrs. Black looks out the window. “Did you know there’s a black dog the size of an elephant outside?” she asks her husband. He replies that he knows that and they should turn out the lights so the dog doesn’t know anyone is home.

When Adeline Hope sees the dog outside, she says the pooch is the size of a Tyrannosaurus Rex. And so it goes until the youngest member of the Hope family decides to confront the problem outside their door head-on. She slips into her yellow coat and goes out to address their visitor.

Yes, the dog is rather large but this brave child has a solution for the problem. How she gets the dog down to a reasonable size is the subject of the rest of this offbeat tale that is really a fable about confronting one’s fears.

At the end of the story the child’s mother says, “You’ve got a lot of courage, facing up to a big, fearsome thing like that.” The little girl looks up and just shrugs, “There was nothing to be scared of, you know.” Then she and her new pet go and sit in front of the fire!