"Little Whistle's Medicine" by Cynthia Rylant, illustrated by Tim Bowers, Harcourt, 32 pages

Read aloud: age 3 and older

Read yourself: age 7, 8 and older

Children bring their parents to Toytown to look at the toys and the adorable guinea pig, Little Whistle, sleeping in his cage. What no one knows is when the store is closed, the toys come to life and Little Whistle wakes up and spends each evening having fun with his friends.

One night Little Whistle rides the toy train to see his friend Soldier. He knows Soldier reads books to the Toytown babies every night, and Little Whistle is in the mood for a good story. But Soldier had fallen off the shelf that day, bumped his head, and didn't feel well enough to read. When the babies start to cry, Little Whistle is worried. Can he find a way to help Soldier feel better and save story time?

LIBRARIAN'S CHOICE

Library: Waterford Public Library, 49 Rope Ferry Rd., Waterford

Library Director: Roslyn Rubinstein

Dept. Head of Children's Services: Christine Tkaczyk

Choices this week: "The Terrible Plop" by Ursula Dubosarsky; "How Rocket Learned to Read" by Tad Hill; "Children of the Lamp: Book 1; The Akhenaten Adventure" by P.B. Kerr

AT THE BOOKSTORE

"In Andal's House" by Gloria Whelan, illustrated by Amanda Hall, Sleeping Bear Press, 2013, 40 pages, $17.95 hardcover

Read aloud: age 6 and 7

Read yourself: age 8 to 10

Young Kumar feels as though he lives in two worlds: the old India where people live according to their caste, and the new world where laws have abolished caste discrimination. When he is invited to his friend's house to watch fireworks, Kumar is pleased to be included because his friend is from a high-caste Brahmin family. But when Kumar arrives, his friend's grandmother abruptly sends him away. Insulted and angry, Kumar returns home to the fortunate and wise words of his grandfather.

"Zayde Comes to Live" by Sheri Sinykin, illustrated by Kristina Swarner, Peachtree, 2012, 36 pages, $16.95 hardcover

Read aloud: age 6 and 7

Read yourself: age 7 and 8

Rachel's grandfather has come to live with her family because he is ill. Though no one says it, Rachael knows Zayde is dying, and she needs to know where Zayde will go when he dies. She asks many people, including Zayde, and is at last filled with peace, for in Zayde's own words he gently explains, "My spirit will live on. This I believe. Because my love will stay here with you, and so will your memories. Always."

www.greatestbooksforkids.com