Here are the best, the brightest, the most informative, fun, and outstanding words and pictures of 2005 -- a diverse group of poems, children's novels, real-life adventures, answers to life's mysterious questions, and fanciful tales of long ago. Then be sure to discover what some of your favorite authors and illustrators -- like Jane Yolen ("Owl Moon") and Betsy Lewin ("Duck for President") -- picked as their favorite books of the year. Happy reading!

BEST AND MOST HOPEFUL PICTURE BOOK OF 2005

1. THE STARS WILL STILL SHINE
By Cynthia Rylant, Illustrated by Tiphanie Beeke
HarperCollins, $15.99; Ages 3 to 8; ISBN: 0060546395

The wonders of everyday, as in "the sky will still be there/the stars will still shine," typically taken for granted, are radiantly presented in this marvelous picture book that exudes comfort and faith in a better tomorrow. Warm, glorious, lushly-colored paintings replicating the charm of American folk art accompany elegant, gently flowing, rhyming text. Smiling children and adults seem to leap off impressionistic backgrounds as they appreciate some of the universal truths of our lives: "there will be goodness / there will be grace / there will be light / in every dark place." Perhaps the most hopeful book created for children, with a breathtaking, seamless blend of beauty in words and pictures.