Best Children’s Books of 2013

Written and illustrated by Mordicai Gerstein. Roaring Brook, $16.99 (38 p.) 
How do you cheer up the moon? Well, if you have enough imagination—and a detailed plan—you can pedal your bike to the moon and plant some sunflowers to make the lunar surface a happier place. You'll need a few things: a ship's anchor, 238,900 miles of garden hoses, 2,000 inner tubes, and a spacesuit on loan from NASA. The rest is easy. ("If a cloud drifts into your path, PEDAL RIGHT INTO IT.") Gerstein's (winner of the 2004 Caldecott Medal) cheerful, gap-toothed narrator teaches readers the value of determination—and whimsey. Ages 6-8.