59. "Wump World" by Bill Peet

I love Bill Peet's illustrations in The Wump World, especially his depictions of the Wumps--peaceable grazing animals who look like a cross between cows and capybaras. But I'm not a big fan of allegories, so the plot itself annoyed me a bit. One day, an alien race called the Pollutians comes to the Wumps' world. As their name implies, they build huge cities, pollute the air, drive the Wumps underground, and trash the planet. Then they zoom off into space to find another planet to wreck. The Wumps emerge from their caves, sadly survey the destruction, and finally find a final oasis of greenery. The book ends on a sort of hopeful note--eventually the plants will take over and the cities will fall down--but also suggests that some of the destruction and defilement of Wump World is irreversible.

57. "Flat Stanley" by Jeff Brown

Flat Stanley is a fun story about a boy who's squished flat when a bulletin board falls on him while he's asleep. With a half-inch thickness, Stanley can fit into a mailing envelope to travel to California. He lets his brother attach a string to him and flies like a kite. He hatches an ingenious plot that takes advantage of his flatness to help catch art thieves.

This was a favorite book of mine when I first learned to read, and its appeal hasn't diminished with time.

51. "Sharks" by Seymour Simon

Sharks by Seymour Simon provides shark facts in a format targeted to kids--probably kids who are already interested in sharks (although what kid isn't?), because, apart from some obvious attempts to connect with kids, the text is fairly dry. It's also quite informative, however, and I learned some things I didn't know, such as the fact that sharks have six senses (and no, ESP isn't the sixth), and that great white sharks are warm-bodied but cold-blooded. (I caught part of a PBS special on sharks the other night, and the "warm-bodied" term was mentioned, but I misunderstood and thought they are warm-blooded. The book clarifies the difference.)

The photographs (taken by various photographers) are a treat. Images feature an array of sharks engaging in behavior from feeding to cruising to giving birth to emerging from tube-like eggs.

45. "Danny and the Dinosaur" by Syd Hoff

In Syd Hoff's Danny and the Dinosaur, Danny visits a museum and wishes aloud that the dinosaurs were alive, because he wants to play with them. A voice responds; one of the dinosaurs has come to life. A fun-filled day follows as the dinosaur gives commuters a ride on his tail, takes Danny to the zoo, and plays hide-and-seek with Danny's friends.

There isn't much else to this story--no conflict, no plot tension. The words are simple, though, and the imaginative elements of having a talking dinosaur as friend for a day should appeal to most kids.

44. "Fire Cat" by Esther Averill

The Fire Cat by Esther Averill is a sweet story about a cat named Pickles who longs for great things. However, he lives in a barrel in an apartment yard, and all he can find to do is chase smaller cats up a tree. One day, he becomes caught in the tree, and his friend Mrs. Goodkind (a name that could be straight out of Pilgrim's Progress) calls the firefighters to rescue him.

She tells Joe the firefighter that Pickles wants to do great things, and Joe takes him back to the fire station to live. Pickles learns to slide down the fire pole, ride the truck, and climb the ladder. The chief gives him a little hat and appoints him an honorary firefighter. Pickles' life comes full circle when a tiny cat becomes stranded far beyond human reach in the same tree from which he was rescued, and only Pickles can save her (and return her to the grateful Mrs. Goodkind, of course).

The illustrations are a bit funky. The cats are cute, but the people are blocky and awkward. (Mrs. Goodkind looks like my idea of a transgendered Eastern European woman.) And some of the perspectives are awkward. Still, as I said, this is a cute story that should appeal to children who love animals.