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Parents magazine has revealed its picks for the 10 Best Children’s Books of 2016. The magazine sought input from a panel of children’s librarians and kid testers from across the country to select the favorite reads from the massive numbers of new kids’ books released this year. Now in its eighth year, the full list of the 10 Best Children’s Books appears in the December 2016 issue of Parents magazine and online at www.parents.com/best-books.

TouchThinkLearn: ABC by Xavier Deneux

Using the same innovative production technique and brilliant aesthetic cheered by parents, educators, and children alike in the acclaimed TouchThinkLearn series, here is an alphabet that literally adds a new dimension to learning. Raised die-cut pieces nestled in mirroring indented cut-outs engage readers on both visual and tactile levels. An impressive gift, this exquisitely executed design object is above all else a fabulously fun and educationally essential alphabet book.

Goodnight Everyone by Chris Haughton

From the creator of Shh! We Have a Plan comes a mesmerizing bedtime tale of a forest settling into slumber and one little bear trying to stay awake.

The sun is setting, and everyone in the forest is getting sleepy. The mice, rabbits, and deer all give great big yawns as they snuggle up with their families for the night. But someone isn’t sleepy just yet. Little Bear thinks he can stay awake a bit longer. Can he do it? Chris Haughton’s bold and vibrant illustrations will captivate little ones eager to stay up just a teeny bit longer, while sweet depictions of animals cozying up in their beds for the night will soon have them yawning off to a dreamland of their own.

Inspector Flytrap by Tom Angleberger

Inspector Flytrap in the Da Vinci Cold introduces kids to the humorous and wacky world of Inspector Flytrap’s Detective Agency, home to the world-renowned solver of BIG DEAL mysteries. The plant detective works tirelessly with his assistant Nina the Goat on his community’s unsolved cases. There’s no case too big, but there are definitely cases too small for this endearingly self-important plant detective.

Celebrating the disabled yet enabled, the character of Inspector Flytrap is wheeled everywhere (on a skateboard, of course) by his goat sidekick as this mystery-solving duo works on cases such as “The Big Deal Mystery of the Stinky Cookies” and “The Big Deal Mystery of the Missing Rose.”

On his first caper, Inspector Flytrap heads to the Art Museum’s Secret Lab to discover what important message lies in a mysterious glob on a recently discovered Da Vinci flower painting. The ingenious solution: Da Vinci was allergic to flowers, and the glob is, er, evidence of that ancient sneeze.

The Wild Robot by Peter Brown

When robot Roz opens her eyes for the first time, she discovers that she is alone on a remote, wild island. She has no idea how she got there or what her purpose is–but she knows she needs to survive. After battling a fierce storm and escaping a vicious bear attack, she realizes that her only hope for survival is to adapt to her surroundings and learn from the island’s unwelcoming animal inhabitants.

As Roz slowly befriends the animals, the island starts to feel like home–until, one day, the robot’s mysterious past comes back to haunt her.

From bestselling and award-winning author and illustrator Peter Brown comes a heartwarming and action-packed novel about what happens when nature and technology collide.

Big Fish Little Fish by Jonathan Litton

Dive into the ocean to learn about opposites in this bubbly book! With bright artwork, fish-shaped finger-holes, and a fun rhyming story, learning is brought to life!

The Cookie Fiasco by Mo Willems and Dan Santat

Four friends. Three cookies. One problem.

Hippo, Croc, and the Squirrels are determined to have equal cookies for all! But how? There are only three cookies . . . and four of them! They need to act fast before nervous Hippo breaks all the cookies into crumbs!

Ghosts by Raina Telgemeier

Catrina and her family are moving to the coast of Northern California because her little sister, Maya, is sick. Cat isn’t happy about leaving her friends for Bahía de la Luna, but Maya has cystic fibrosis and will benefit from the cool, salty air that blows in from the sea. As the girls explore their new home, a neighbor lets them in on a secret: There are ghosts in Bahía de la Luna. Maya is determined to meet one, but Cat wants nothing to do with them. As the time of year when ghosts reunite with their loved ones approaches, Cat must figure out how to put aside her fears for her sister’s sake — and her own.

Whoosh! Lonnie Johnson’s Super-Soaking Stream of Inventions  by Chris Barton

You know the Super Soaker. It’s one of top twenty toys of all time. And it was invented entirely by accident. Trying to create a new cooling system for refrigerators and air conditioners, impressive inventor Lonnie Johnson instead created the mechanics for the iconic toy.

A love for rockets, robots, inventions, and a mind for creativity began early in Lonnie Johnson’s life. Growing up in a house full of brothers and sisters, persistence and a passion for problem solving became the cornerstone for a career as an engineer and his work with NASA. But it is his invention of the Super Soaker water gun that has made his most memorable splash with kids and adults.

There’s a Giraffe in My Soup by Ross Burach

What if you found a giraffe in your soup, an alligator in your entreé, an elephant on the table, or even an ostrich in your dish?

In this debut picture book from author-illustrator Ross Burach, an assortment of hairy, scary animals pop out from under the lid at a restaurant!

Jam-packed with adorable illustrations and an assortment of animal puns, this kid-friendly story is sure to delight fans of books by Jon Klassen and Oliver Jeffers!

Hedgehugs and the Hattiepillar by Steve Wilson and Lucy Tapper

In this sequel to Hedgehugs, Horace and Hattie return for another sweet story of friendship.
It’s spring! And everything is colorful―rainbows in the sky and flowers blossoming on trees. When Horace and Hattie Hedgehog see a caterpillar become a butterfly and take flight, they decide to try a transformation of their own. When these two best friends put their minds to solving a problem, nothing can stand in their way!

Check out the books above on Amazon or wherever books are sold. You can read more in the December 2016 issue of Parents magazine and online at www.parents.com/best-books.

Do you have a book that your child can’t stop raving about?