Put awesome interactive books into little hands

All children are captivated by interactive books — books with pop-up illustrations, flaps to lift, textures to touch and so on. In selecting interactive books for children under the age of 4, it's important to keep in mind that this young age group is generally not equipped to gingerly handle delicate, complicated pop-up books.

Curiosity will reign supreme in trying to "see" how that picture jumped off the page and became a three-dimensional design. Add to that the temptation to touch the 3-D picture for further investigation, and the result is usually not what you had hoped for when you plunked down your hard-earned money to buy the book.

And let's face it — once a pop-up picture is destroyed, some of the magic of the book is compromised.

Use common sense when purchasing interactive books for young children. Just because a publisher lists an interactive book (especially a pop-up book) as appropriate for age 2 or 3 and older doesn't mean that it is a good idea for a child so young. What was a moment's delight can quickly diminish into disappointment for you and the child.

Not so with the books reviewed below — all are good examples of sturdy interactive books that are fairly child-proof, and that spells stress-free reading fun!

Books to Borrow

The following book is available at many public libraries.

• "Tails" written and illustrated by Matthew Van Fleet, Harcourt, 22 pages

Read aloud: birth — age 2

Read yourself: age 7

Animal tails come in all shapes, sizes and textures, and this clever book does more than just illustrate that fact — you can touch the textures, pull the tabs and lift the flaps to create even more interactive, surprising details. From tails that are fluffy, scaly, furry and shiny to tails that wag or swish and swat, if there is a tail to learn about, it's here!

Loaded with charming and often amusing illustrations and boasting lots of hands-on interaction, this book is first-rate.

Librarian's Choice

Library: Sutter Branch Library, 2147 California St., Sutter

Library Director: Karen Crocker

Choices this week: "Mucky Moose" by Jonathan Allen; "Magic Tree House" series by Mary Pope Osborne; "Dragon Rider" by Cornelia Funke

Books to Buy

The following books are available at your favorite bookstores.

• "Gossie Plays Hide and Seek" written and illustrated by Olivier Dunrea, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2009, 17 pages, $13.99 board book

Read aloud: age 2 — 4

Read yourself: age 7

Gossie and the other goslings are playing a game they all love — hide and seek. Gossie is seeking and finds Gertie behind the pumpkins, Peedie hiding in the boat and BooBoo in the birdbath. All of the goslings have been found except for Ollie. Now all of the goslings are looking for Ollie. Where could Ollie be hiding?

Super-sturdy tabs to pull, flaps to lift, textures to enjoy and more combine with a fun story that incorporates early learning. As an added bonus, enhance learning further with the fold-out board game at the end of the book where little children can play the hide-and-seek game with the goslings.

A delightful multi-concept book, "Gossie Plays Hide and Seek" will command many repeat readings.

• "Airplane Flight! A Lift-the-Flap Adventure" by Susanna Leonard Hill, illustrated by Ana Martin Larranaga, Little Simon, 2009, 12 pages, $7.99 board book

Read aloud: age 2 — 3

Read yourself: age 7

It's time to take a ride in an airplane! With Captain Bright and Co-pilot Snow, passengers are in good hands for a safe flight. When the plane is headed for bad weather, Captain Bright knows just what to do — fly the airplane around the storm to land at their destination safely.

With flaps to lift that add excitement to this airplane adventure, little children will love going along for the ride in this engaging book.

Kendal A. Rautzhan writes and lectures on children's literature. She can be reached at kendal@sunlink.net.