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Frog and Toad, especially, have an engaging way of interacting with each other, as Toad is always in a tizzy and Frog soothes him as they go through their days together.

Pinney's Holiday, 1970, and Kingcup Cottage,1962 written and illustrated by Racey Phelps. The adventures of a hedgehog and his friends, on vacation and helping Francesca the frog hold a successful party.

Christina Katerina and the Box by Patricia Lee Gauch, illustrated by Doris Burn, originally published in 1971 and reissued in 1998. This is the ultimate book about how kids would rather play with the boxes than the toys. Actually, the box is a large appliance box and Christina and her friend Fats, take it through every possible incarnation, as it slowly disintegrates.

What Do You Do With a Kangaroo?, written and illustrated by Mercer Mayer, 1973. A wonderfully funny story about a little girl who meets the problems of a series of animals invading her house and taking over her stuff and ordering her about, head on, until the end when they all tumble together into bed to sleep.

The Paper Bag Princess by Robert Munsch, illustrated by Michael Marlchanko, 1992. This book follows Princess Elizabeth as she sets out to rescue her betrothed, Prince Ronald, who has been carried off by a dragon. She finally frees Ronald and he criticizes her because she is dirty and wearing a paper bag, one of the few things left after the dragon destroys the castle. A great antidote to all of those insipid stories about princesses who sit around waiting for a prince, Elizabeth tells Ronald to get lost.

These books, especially the older ones, expose your children to stories that have delighted children for decades. Seek out some of the books you loved as a child. While the illustrations in many books today are fun, I especially like some of the older books because of the rich, detailed illustrations, and because they create an atmosphere of times gone by while still speaking to the children of today.

Learn more about this author, Josephine Polifroni.
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