Best Illustrated Books for Kids in 2008

Watch a short slide show of the New York Times' picks for the best illustrated kids' books of the year. Here are a few that made the list. Click on the titles to reserve the books.

Ghosts in the House by Kazuno Kohara

Tired of living in a haunted house, a young witch captures, washes, and turns her pesky ghosts into curtains and a tablecloth.

The Little Yellow Leaf by Carin Berger

A yellow leaf is not ready to fall from the tree when autumn comes, but finally, after finding another leaf still on the tree, the two let go together

Wabi Sabi by Mark Reibstein ; illustrations by Ed Young.

Wabi Sabi, a cat living in the city of Kyoto, learns about the Japanese concept of beauty through simplicity as she asks various animals she meets about the meaning of her name.

We Are the Ship by Kadir Nelson

Using an "Everyman" player as his narrator, Kadir Nelson tells the story of Negro League baseball from its beginnings in the 1920s through the decline after Jackie Robinson crossed over to the majors in 1947. Illustrations from oil paintings by artist Kadir Nelson.