One of my favorite recent picture books is My Heart is Like a Zoo by Michael Hall.  The premise is that the narrator begins comparing his emotions to those of an animal, with a deceptively simple illustration in bold, bright colors to accompany it.  For instance, "snappy as a crab" or "thoughtful as an owl" leads to more humorous analogies, such as "peaceful as a portly walrus lounging on a towel." The rhymes are gentle, never overbearing, but what's magical is the art: each animal is composed of hearts.  Children love to hear it read repeatedly, and it has so many educational applications . . . just buy it.  It's worth it.  Great for lap-time snuggling, read alouds with small groups, story time, any time.



Image from HarperCollins