Winner, Hands Down

My all-time favorite picture book is Ox Cart Man. Lovely at anytime of day, anytime of year, it's especially wonderful at bedtime because reading it seems to slow your heart rate. It marks the seasons with such a sense of purpose that you'll wonder why you haven't abandoned your urban/suburban life already and bought a farm.

I highly recommend it and I'm not the only one — it's a Caldecott winner.