Books are great gifts for children, and this past year offered an excellent crop of choices. So if you're looking for a holiday gift, take a look at some of my top picks of the year for infants to about the fifth grade.

For ages 1 to 5:

"Bow-Wow Orders Lunch" (Bow-Wow Book: All About Pattern), by Mark Newgarden and Megan Montague Cash (Red Wagon Books/Harcourt, $4.95), is everything a board book for babies should be. It is small, barely 6 inches square. The art is big, bold and very simple. There is usually only one word per page. That is exactly what to look for when buying books for children up to 3 years old. Don't worry about story; that will come later. In this one, Bow-Wow watches his sandwich being made. First bread, then cheese, then bread, and on and on until his club sandwich is topped by an irresistible sausage. If this book is a hit, look for "Bow-Wow Naps by Number."

"Fish, Swish! Splash, Dash! Counting Round and Round," by Suse McDonald (Little Simon, $8.99), offers stiff, die-cut pages perfect for chubby little hands. This extremely clever counting book's layered cutouts reveal a series of colorful fish. Rhyming verse begs to be read out loud, and little fingers will enjoy feeling the textures created by the stacked pages. At the end, the fun's not over. Just flip the book upside down and count backward to read it again. This is an excellent first book.

"I Love You Always and Forever," by Jonathan Emmett (Scholastic, $14.99), is the story of two mice, Longtail and Littletail, who play catch, hide-and-seek and follow-the-leader in the forest. As they scamper around and the older mouse usually comes out the winner, Longtail reminds the youngster that, one day, things will change and Littletail will grow up. But, he reassures her, his love for Littletail will remain constant. This tender story, embellished with even sweeter paintings by Daniel Howarth, is the perfect bedtime read.

Ages 3 to 6:

"Will You Read to Me?" by Denys Cazet (A Richard Jackson Book, $16.99), is a cry for attention. Hamlet is a pig. His parents remain unimpressed with his writing skills or his quirky preference for wearing shirts. They are focused on chow time. So Hamlet trots off into the forest, is inspired by nature and reads aloud. Before long, his efforts have an audience. This wistful little story nearly made me cry! Poems combine with prose in a wonderful way and soft watercolor and pencil art celebrates nature, inspired thought and the pleasure of both reading aloud and being read to. This is an excellent book.

"Birdsongs," by Betsy Franco (Margaret K. McElderry Books, $16.99), is a gorgeous collection of collages, a clever counting book and a wonderful story about the birds that frequent one garden during a single day. From the woodpecker that taps 10 times to the hummingbird that tweets just once, children will be enthralled by visiting this small avian world. Steve Jenkins is the masterful artist. The stunning design is complete with facts about 11 varieties of birds typically found in home gardens.

"A Seed is Sleepy," by Dianna Hutts Aston and Sylvia Long (Chronicle Books, $16.95), are the perfect author/illustrator pair who return with a fascinating book to expose the characteristics of the world's many kinds of seeds. (Aston and Long were previously together for the remarkable "An Egg is Quiet.") Discover big seeds and little seeds, floating seeds and flying seeds, and seeds that grow huge things like redwood trees. Detailed ink and watercolor art shows the beauty of seeds and how they unlock the secret plants they each carry inside. Text is both poetic and scientifically accurate by turn. This is a book that can be enjoyed to the age of 10 and beyond.

Ages 4 to 8:

"Alligator Boy," by Cynthia Rylant (Harcourt, $16), is one of my favorites. In this terrific story, a little boy has an identity crisis while on a visit to a museum. His aunt humors him with an alligator disguise that he puts on, announcing that he is now a reptile. From then on, he wears the suit everywhere, even to school. Wonderful watercolors by Diane Goode capture a child's imagination. Deadpan rhyme tells the rest of the story.

"About Habitats: Deserts," by Cathryn Sill (Peachtree, $16.95), is another in a beautiful series by a talented couple about our environment. Starting with a map that shows the deserts of the world, learn about these dry places. See what lives there, what the topography is made of, where the water is and how things grow. Beautiful watercolors by John Sill and spare text by his wife make this an accessible book for even very young children. As always, an afterword, glossary and bibliography offer more detail. I love this team's work and can never tell enough parents about these books. Look for them all.

"The Boy Who was Raised by Librarians," by Carla Morris (Peachtree, $16.95), is a delightful story. Melvin loves his library and his librarians are always extremely helpful -- no matter what questions he asks. Is it no wonder then, that when he grows up, the library becomes more than a favorite pastime? Joyful watercolors by Brad Sneed capture the thrill of reading as well as the enthusiasm of librarians.

Ages 6 to 10:

"Stealing Home; Jackie Robinson: Against the Odds," by Robert Burleigh (A Paula Wiseman Book, $16.99). Travel back in time to game one of the 1955 World Series, the Yankees versus the Dodgers, have a seat in the ballpark and watch as No. 42 tries to steal home. Rich, textured oil art by Mike Wimmer captures the day, the light, the sight of this great player doing the impossible. Baseball card-sized blocks of information on every other page offer up the details of a glorious career.

"Twist: Yoga Poems," by Janet S. Wong (Margaret K. McElderry Books, $17.99), is full of nimble watercolors by Julie Paschkis to show children the delights and parallels in yoga. See why the child's pose, cat/cow and down dog are called that. Simplicity of line in verse and painting combine in a striking way to relax the body and invigorate the eye. This is a beautiful picture book.

"Camp Out!: The Ultimate Kids' Guide," by Lynn Brunelle (Workman Publishing, $11.95), is a great gift choice for outdoor enthusiasts. Whether you pitch a tent in the back yard or the faraway woods, prepare with and take along this handy guide on living in the outdoors. Bring the right stuff, learn how to keep food safe from wild animals, study knot-tying and constellation identification, and become a backpacking naturalist. This is a great handbook to give an entire family for years of camping pleasure. It's packed with lots of cool illustrations, recipes, ideas, activities, projects and explanations. I love it.

And here's one more for the age of 1 through 10

"Unplugged Play: No Batteries. No Plugs. Pure Fun." by Bobbi Conner (Workman Publishing, $16.95) is a parent guide for children's play ideas. Where was this terrific book when my daughter was little? Creative ideas in here often cost absolutely nothing -- like the game for toddlers that requires a ball and paper grocery bag. Set the child on the floor, show her how to roll the ball into the opening of the bag. Great joy! She's likely to do it over and over. This book celebrates the power of play and having simple fun while watching nature, socializing and stretching imaginations. Tips are many, specific and arranged by target ages. For toddlers -- sort small items into muffin tins, make art with edible paint, learn simple, interactive songs. For preschoolers -- make lunch bag puppets, dress like a superhero, make music with simple instruments, For grade schoolers -- play flyswatter volleyball, walk on homemade platypus feet, play family trivia. Give the book to new moms or stressed-out dads -- they and their children will thank you. It's good through the age of 10.