From board books for the very young, to picture books for early readers, and quality fiction for adolescents, there should be something for all the children on your holiday shopping list in this selection of new titles.

Books for preschool children:

JOSHUA BY THE SEA: Joshua’s Night Whispers, Rain Feet, & Mama Bird, Baby Birds, by Angela Johnson, illustrated by Rhonda Mitchell, Orchard Books, 10 pages, $4.95.

A series of board books for the very young, featuring an African-American family and exploring common childhood joys and fears. Expressive watercolors offer many opportunities for sharing between parents and children.

WHAT RHYMES WITH SNAKE?, by Rick Brown, Tambourine, 16 pages, $11.95.

In this imaginative word and picture flap book, children are given a labeled illustration of common items or animals and must guess what rhymes with it. Answers are found by lifting flaps on the illustrations and its labels.

Picture books about Christmas:

A CAROL FOR CHRISTMAS, by Ann Tompert, illustrated by Laura Kelly, Macmillan, 32 pages, $14.95, ages 5-8.

Based on an Austrian legend, this book relates the important role church mice may have had in the creation of the Christmas carol “Silent Night.” A special story for the holidays and always.

CHRISTMAS WITH GRANDFATHER, by Winfried Wolf, illustrated by Eugen Sopko, North-South Books, 26 pages, $14.95, ages 5-8.

A young boy grieves for his dead father and cannot believe that Christmas can ever be joyful again for him or his mother until a trip to his grandfather’s alpine home changes his mind. A lovely story, beautifully illustrated, about families and the true spirit of Christmas.

THE ARABIAN NIGHTS, retold by Neil Philip, illustrated by Sheila Moxley, Orchard Books, 157 pages, $19.95, all ages.

A sumptuous new edition of the classic telling of the stories Sheherazade told her husband king to save herself from the fate which befell his former wives. From the familiar “Aladdin” and “Ali Babba and the Forty Thieves” to several other lesser-known tales, these stories are all recreated in lively fashion.

Pictures books, ages 5-8:

RIVER DAY, by Jane B. Mason, illustrated by Henri Sorensen, Macmillan, 32 pages, $14.95.

A young girl and her grandfather take a picnic and go canoeing in search of the eagle that nests along the river bank. The feeling of love between the generations is palpable in this story. Sorensen’s watercolors perfectly capture the beauty of this special day.

BIG MACHINES, by Angela Royston, illustrated by Terry Pastor, Little, Brown and Co., 20 pages, $12.95.

With bold, realistic illustrations and concise text, Royston presents nine big machines including, among others, a street cleaner, combine, and backhoe. Machine parts are clearly marked to extend the learning.

KING KENRICK’S SPLINTER, by Sally Derby, illustrated by Leonid Gore, Walker and Co., 32 pages, $14.95.

King Kenrick gets a painful splinter in his toe on the day of the big parade. A scullery maid’s uncle, overly fond of practical jokes, comes to the rescue and causes the king some mental anxiety along the way to his cure. Lots of silly fun and a bold, distinctive style of illustrations make this a wonderful treat for children.

Fiction for older readers:

JENNIFER-THE-JERK IS MISSING, by Carol Gorman, Simon and Schuster, 135 pages, $15.

Thirteen-year-old Amy is babysitting Malcolm, an 8-year-old with a vivid imagination who tells her he’s witnessed the kidnapping of a schoolmate. Amy doesn’t know what to believe, but is soon persuaded to investigate. This fast-paced, comic adventure will appeal to a broad spectrum of readers.

TIME FOR ANDREW — A Ghost Story, by Mary Downing Hahn, Clarion Books, 167 pages, $13.95.

When he goes to spend the summer with his great-aunt in the family’s old house, 11-year-old Andrew is drawn 80 years into the past to trade places with his great-great-great Uncle Andrew who is dying of diphtheria. Nightly marble games with his uncle will decide who’s to stay in 1910. An intriguing tale of family ties that surpass time.

TO RACE A DREAM, by Deborah Savage, Houghton Mifflin, 245 pages, $15.95.

In 1906, 15-year-old Theodora has just moved with her family to the small town of Savage, Minn., so that her gifted sister can perform with the symphony orchestra in Minneapolis. Theodora, bored and lonely, disguises herself as a boy in order to become a race horse driver, an occupation usually limited to men. A compelling coming-of-age story with a spirited heroine which gives a dramatic look at life in rural America at the turn of the century.

Poetry:

NEVER TAKE A PIG TO LUNCH AND OTHER POEMS ABOUT THE FUN OF EATING, selected and illustrated by Nadine Bernard Westcott, Orchard Books, 64 pages, $18.95, all ages.

A rollicking collection of more than 60 poems about food from a child’s-eye view. Capitalizing on a child’s sense of humor, it firmly establishes the notion that poetry is fun!

MAKING FRIENDS WITH FRANKENSTEIN — A Book of Monstrous Poems and Pictures, by Colin McNaughton, Candlewick, 90 pages, $19.95, all ages.

A collection of silly, scary, and disgusting poems about monsters. Marvelous word play and imaginative illustrations create an auditory and visual treat for youngsters.

Judy Eyerer is a free-lance writer who lives in Bangor.