Help Kids Rock Out and Read Summer Style

Lee Littlewood

Fresh new summer picture books and a smattering of affordable character-driven paperbacks, plus zippy beach tunes, make this roundup appealingly friendly.

"A Fabulous Fair Alphabet" by Debra Frasier; Beach Lane/Simon & Schuster; 32 pages; $16.99.

Part of the appeal of country fairs are their vivid colors, well-loved farm animals, exciting ride visions and home-style eats. Frasier's new work of art uses lettering from fair signs, ticket booths, eateries and advertisements to showcase any fair's appeal, from A to Z. After going through an entrance, readers see an arena with dozens of photographs of different letter "A"s from several fair signs. Next up, a barn with a horse is spelled out with letters from lit-up midway signs.

Readers journey to a dill pickle booth, a sign that says "Eat Everything" (isn't that true at most fairs?), and on to pigs, quilts, roller coasters, slides and tractors. Super exciting and refreshing, "A Fabulous Fair Alphabet" is the perfect precursor to the fair in Anytown, USA.

"Little Pink Pup" by Johanna Kerby; Putnam/Penguin; 32 pages; $16.99.

Who doesn't like gazing at pictures of puppies and piglets? Johanna Kerby lives on a farm in West Virginia, with one particular pig that thinks she's a dog. Little Pink was premature and tiny, and therefore brought inside to be raised, surprisingly by the family's dachshund, Tink.

Kerby's photo-filled picture book shows the kindly dog mothering the tiny piglet alongside her other puppies. Kids will get a laugh out of seeing Pink eventually shunning pig food and the pigs' scratchy straw and instead favoring dog food and soft cushions.

Completely adorable, with simple text and vivid photographs, "Little Pink Pup" is a heartwarming tale for animal lovers as well as for kids who may somehow think they're different than the rest of the family.

KIDBITS

Speaking of pigs, favorite porker Olivia stars in the new "Olivia Opens a Lemonade Stand," from Nickelodeon and Simon Spotlight ($3.99). Kids who love having lemonade stands in the summer will enjoy seeing the irrepressible Olivia trying to outsell her competition — Francine — with a special blend of super sour lemonade.

The wacky bunch from preschool hit "Yo Gabba Gabba!" feel too shy to meet friend Muno's family in "It's Nice to Meet You" (Simon; $3.99). This book is a sweet and funny reminder to always say, "It's nice to meet you!"

And Richard Scarry's timeless Busytown is still open. The new "Busytown Mysteries" picture paperbook series debuts with "The Missing Apple Mystery" and "In a Pickle," both from Simon Spotlight and $3.99 each.

Bring zest to the backyard party scene with these family CDs, each about $15.

From Putumayo Kids, "Rock & Roll Playground" pairs fabulous children's stars, such as Dan Zanes and Friends, Peter Himmelman and Taj Mahal and Linda Tillery, with dance-friendly tunes meant to rock the house. Rockabilly, zesty nursery rhymes and other worldly music styles encourage listeners to hand jive, jump, do the hitchhike and the twist, and even take a magic carpet ride.

Why not party with the best? "The Best of the Laurie Berkner Band" (Two Tomatoes Records) offers up 20 of the famed children's performer's favorites from five top-selling CDs.

The Okee Dokee Brothers (Okee Dokee Music) showcase their new "Take it Outside," with 13 folksy, banjo-pickin' bluegrass odes to water balloons, walking on tippy toes, extraterrestrials and even auctioneers.

Last but not least, the CD with the best name — "Robbert Bobbert and the Bubble Machine," from Little Monster Records — encourages listeners with this: "Dear Listener, I hope you like my new invention, the shiny circle sound extension. It plays my music through the air. First, put the circle in the machine, then eat a purple jellybean. Then, turn the song releasing Knobbert."

Trust me, his songs are just as fun.

To find out more about Lee Littlewood and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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