But it can be difficult to predict exactly what she'll take to. Sometimes the well researched, thoughtfully designed, fairly traded, and carefully sought out toy falls flat - right to the bottom of the toy basket, in fact - and sometimes the random rubbery party favor stays in circulation for months. Every once in a while, though, I see something and buy it on impulse because I know that it will be a winner. Such was the case with Paul O. Zelinsky's beautiful and clever pop up version of The Wheels on the Bus, which I recently found while poking around at the wonderful Children's Book Shop in Brookline Village.

I have a two-year old; ergo, we sing a lot of Wheels on the Bus. Having a book to put images to the words has changed the whole experience for my daughter, though, and has given us a new foundation around which our bedtime ritual revolves. Watching her make the connections among the words, the music, the pictures, and the act of turning pages - of doing something sort of like reading - has been a joy. If Wheels on the Bus is as popular in your house as it is in ours, be sure to check out Zelinsky's contribution.”