Considering the giant stack of books we have at home for my daughter and the stacks and stacks we've been bringing home from the library for the past four years, it's always amazing to me how many great books for kids are out there that I've never read.

Two new ones I just discovered: "A Tree is Nice" by Janice May Udry, a really mellow book about trees and how important they are, and "Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears," by Verna Aardema. It's based on a West African tale. Both were Caldecott Award winners years ago. Definitely worth checking out at the library.

So speaking of the library and awards, I thought I'd point out that voting at libraries and schools across the state for the North Carolina Children's Book Award start in March. 

The North Carolina Library Association selected the nominees after getting suggestions from school kids across the state. There are 15 picture books and 15 junior books that are nominated.  Here's the full list of nominees.

If nothing else, they're probably all good bets if you're looking for something new to check out the next time you're at the library.

Check out our other daily themes at TriangleMom2Mom:

MONDAY: Meet!
TUESDAY: Ask!
WEDNESDAY: Eat!
THURSDAY: Play!
FRIDAY: Out!
WEEKEND: Relax!