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Ode to Toy

Books where toys are the stars

By Karyn M. Peterson -- Gifts and Dec, 2/1/2008 12:00:00 AM

It's Toy Fair time again! And, just as the world's toy manufacturers have spent the last few months putting the final touches on their spring lines, so have many children's book publishers been readying their collections in preparation to attend. In honor of the show, here's a selection of new kids' books where toys take center stage.

Friday My Radio Flyer Flew is the first book both written and illustrated by Zachary Pullen, artist for John Frank's The Toughest Cowboy. Pullen's vibrant oil paintings reveal the eponymous shiny red wagon of youth in all its glory, making this title an ideal gift for speed demons of all ages.. ($16.99) Simon & Schuster, New York

The Curious Adventures of the Abandoned Toys, written by Oscar-winning screenwriter Julian Fellowes and beautifully illustrated in ink and watercolors by S. D. Schindler, is an intriguing diversity tale in which a group of discarded toys form a community, and then team up to reunite a stuffed rabbit with the boy that loves—and lost—him. ($17.95) Henry Holt, New York

In the metaphorical Toy Boat, written by Randall DeSeve and illustrated by Loren Long, a little boy's love for his handmade toy boat and his reluctance to let it sail freely is a stand-in for the joys and perils of freedom. Through simple language and bright acrylics, this book is a moving allegory about growing up. ($16.99) Penguin (Philomel), New York

As in all his creative titles, Walter Wick's paperback Can You See What I See? Toys offers the same kind of read-and-seek fun in a Level 1 reader. Thirteen photos (featuring dominoes, playing cards, checkers, board games and more) complement the simple text and bonus picture dictionary located at the end. ($3.99) Scholastic (Cartwheel), New York

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