I visited a preschool recently and many of the parents asked me about story suggestions to read aloud. There are so many wonderful books for young children that it isn't easy to select just a few so I thought I'd look at some of the categories of books that I'd recommend.

• Concept books that deal with the alphabet or numbers can help introduce topics and strengthen a child's skills in preparation for kindergarten. One of my favorite alphabet books is Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr. Published originally in 1989, there is now a special anniversary edition available. Bill Martin is also the author of Chicka Chicka 1, 2, 3.

• Predictable stories allow a child to anticipate the action or identify a repeating phrase. Is your Mama a Llama? by Deborah Guarino is always a lot of fun because it combines the repeating refrain with a series of riddles posed by the baby animals that Lloyd the Llama encounters.

• Cumulative stories create a chain of events that are repeated with each new addition until the end. One of the most familiar is the Caldecott honor book, There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed A Fly by Simms Taback. I must admit I'm also a long-time fan of The Napping House by Audrey Wood.

Here are the answers to Friday's Famous Firsts:

1. "Brian Robeson stared out the window of the small plane at the endless green northern wilderness below." Hatchet by Gary Paulsen.

2."All children, except one grow up." Peter Pan by J. M. Barrie