Your guide to activities and fun things to do with your preschoolers, toddlers and kids in Saint Louis, MO

Thanks for Thanksgiving is good for young kids who don't usually understand that Thanksgiving is about more than turkey and pumpkin pie. This book introduces kids to the meaning of the holiday. Thanks for Thanksgiving is age appropriate for young kids just old enough to ask why everyone is gathering for turkey and talks about what appreciating someone means.

The Runaway Bunny I have read this book so many times to my children that I know it by heart but I'm still not bored by it. I think the reason I still enjoy reading it is the whimsical illustrations of the bunny's big ears as boat sails and the image of the momma bunny in waders fly fishing for her baby. The baby bunny wants to run from his momma so kids sometimes do but momma explains she will do anything and go anywhere to be with him. It is a sweet book and it still makes me smile even after all those repeat readings.

I love Eric Carle books for pre-schoolers. The rhymes and colorful pictures are just right for my kids' attention spans. However, that's not why I bought this book. I bought this book for my husband to read our three year old daughter because he would get her the moon if he could. In "Papa, Please The Moon For Me", Monica's Dad does what he needs to for his little girl to play with the moon. What Mom can resist this book?

We added The Mitten by Jan Brett to our kids' library long ago but just discovered The Three Snow Bears recently and it became a quick favorite. The illustrations are beautifully detailed sketches that I enjoy looking at while reading. The story of an Inuit girl named Aloo-ki in the 3 polar bears' igloo is like in the classic Goldilocks and the 3 bears. Aloo-ki tries the bears' things out while she explores but instead of porridge and chairs, she tries their boots, soup before laying down for a nap. In this tale, the bears also save the girl's missing dogs before discovering her slumbering in their warm igloo. The bears aren't angry with the curious girl in this non-scary book appropriate for young children. Perfect for cold winter evenings, we'll be reading The Three Snow Bears a lot this season.

The Snowy Day is another one of our favorite books to read when it gets cold outside. My kids like following the story of snow-suited Peter as he walks through a very snowy city. This book is also good for starting conversations with young kids about what there is to do in the snow. We'll be reading this one all winter!