Children’s books often are published with a purpose in mind. Maybe they’re for an upcoming holiday or to help ease kids into a new school or neighborhood. Other books have an obvious moral message.

Some books, though, are just darn good books with interesting stories and pretty pictures that are likely to entertain readers young and old. Those you might want to consider adding to your family’s library:

‘Bella Basset Ballerina’

(Pretty Please Press, $15.95, ages 4-10) by Laura Aimee Garn and illustrated by Valerie Sokolova.

Bella the basset hound is supposed to like nipping at leaves and playing “steal the bacon,” and when she grows up she’s supposed to help out on the farm. But what she really wants to do is dance. She goes to the big city to become a big-time ballerina, and after a few false starts, she lives her dream.

‘Ellie, The Perfect Dress for Me’

(Gingham Dog Press, $15.95, ages 3-8) by C.M. Rubin and illustrated by Christopher Fowler.

'Ben the Postbear' by Carol Ottolenghi.

Poor little Ellie is getting tugged in every direction as her family tries to “help” her pick a dress to wear to her cousin’s wedding. Only when she sits alone with a sketch pad does she come up with a look that’s just right for her.

‘Ernest and Elston’

(Barnesyard Books, $15.95, ages 4-8) by Laura T. Barnes and illustrated by Carol A. Camburn.

The other barnyard critters don’t like Elston the rooster because he wakes them up too early, so Elston decides he should become something else. But after a few attempts at trying not to do what comes naturally – puff up his chest and crow at the crack of dawn – his friend, a baby donkey, convinces him that the other animals really need a rooster in their lives.

‘What Do You Do?’

(Little Simon, $7.99, ages 1-4) by Mandy Stanley.

Preschoolers have the names and sounds of animals tossed at them all the time, but maybe their curious minds want to know what it is a cow, caterpillar and beetle actually do. Stanley answers them in rhyming text in this board book.

'Nacho and Lolita' by Pam Munoz Ryan.

‘Nacho and Lolita’

(Scholastic Press, $16.99, ages 4-8) by Pam Munoz Ryan and illustrated by Claudia Rueda.

Nacho, the only bird living at a mission on California’s coast, is thrilled when another bird makes a nest in the belfry of the chapel. It’s love at first sight, but the couple’s challenge comes when they realize that a big “patacoche” bird and a tiny swallow can’t live the same lifestyle. Compromises are made and, in the end, they sing together.

‘Beasty Bath’

(Orchard/Scholastic, $14.99, ages 3-5) by Robert Neubecker.

It’s much more fun for a kid to take a bath with horns on, and a clean beast is one any parent can love.

‘Carl’s Sleepy Afternoon’

(Farrar, Straus and Giroux, $12.95, all ages) by Alexandra Day.

Carl, a giant Rottweiler, celebrates his 20th birthday in books with a new adventure that makes him a bona fide hero when he rescues a dog and her pups from a burning garage. He’s still mischievous, though, and he has this whole adventure – which also includes stops at the bakery and a magic show – while his owner is out shopping and thinks he’s having a nap.

'Beasty Bath' by Robert Neubecker

‘Earl the Squirrel’

(Viking, $15.99, ages 4 and up) by Don Freeman.

This is a rediscovered book by the author of “Corduroy” about a young squirrel going out on his own. At first he tries the easy route to score an acorn, but he makes his mother proud when he uses some ingenuity instead.

‘What I Like About Me’

(Reader’s Digest, $14.99, ages 3-7) by Allia Zobel-Nolan and illustrated by Miki Sakamoto.

All the children in this class celebrate what makes them different from each other, and a few touch-and-feel and lift-the-flap bonuses make their curly hair, bushy eyebrows and big feet come to life.

‘How Do Dinosaurs Eat Their Food?’

(Blue Sky/Scholastic, $15.99, ages 3-5) by Jane Yolen and illustrated by Mark Teague.

Dinosaurs don’t squirm or wiggle, burp or belch. They never spit out broccoli partially chewed. Maybe some youngsters can find a role model in these oversized, sharp-toothed crusaders of good table manners.

'Kamishaibai Man' by Allen Say

‘Kamishaibai Man’

(Houghton Mifflin, $17, ages 4-8) by Allen Say.

An old man used to entertain children with his storytelling, but he stopped going into the city from his home in the rural countryside on his bicycle, carrying illustrations and candy, when TV came along. When he decides it’s finally time to recapture the glory a little live entertainment can bring, he finds a large group of adults trying to recapture their youth.

‘You Can Do It Too!’

(Handprint, $13.95, ages 2-4) by Karen Baicker and illustrated by Ken Wilson-Max.

Younger siblings are always hearing “No, no, no!” from older kids – but not here. An older sister wants her toddler brother to share her world, encouraging him to go down the slide with her and to clank pots and pans with her.

‘Ella Takes the Cake’

(Arthur A. Levine/Scholastic, $16.99, ages 4-8) by Carmela D’Amico and illustrated by Steven D’Amico.

Once again, Ella the elephant wants to help. Most of the time her mother says she’s too small to do the important jobs at the bakery, but she gets her big break when it’s time to deliver a very large cake.

‘The Merry Chase’

'The Merry Chase' by Clement Hurd.

(Chronicle, $15.95, ages 2-6) by Clement Hurd.

Out of print since 1946, the story of a dog-and-cat race down the street, through the house and into the arms of their owners is as charming as ever. The basic cartoon drawing style is a bit dated – but retro art is cool these days.

‘Ben the Postbear’

(Gingham Dog Press, $10.95, ages 3-5) by Carol Ottolenghi and illustrated by Marco Campanella.

Ben the Postbear solicits help from young readers as he delivers packages throughout the countryside. Together they’ll study the map, help Mrs. Hen’s chicks open an envelope – sent via air mail – that has a book of fairy tales inside, and read a thank-you note for their hard work from all the people on the mail route.

‘The Shopping Expedition’

(Candlewick, $16.99, ages 3-6) by Allan Ahlberg and illustrated by Andre Amstutz.

Mother, children and Wilf the Wonderdog aren’t deterred when their car breaks down on the way to the grocery store. After all, they need their cornflakes, sausages and dog biscuits. So, they go up the hill, through a storm and into the jungle to make it to the store before closing time. The real star of this book, though, is Amstutz’s art. Some of his illustrations have been acquired by London’s Victoria and Albert museum and he gets top billing on the book cover.

'Earl the Squirrel' by Don Freeman.

‘The Village of Basketeers’

(Houghton Mifflin, $16, ages 4-8) by Lynda Gene Rymond and illustrated Nicolette Ceccoli.

In this village, the terrain isn’t right for farming or fishing. But the grass that grows nearby is good for baskets and that becomes the local crop. What will happen if the wind blows too hard and takes the grass with it?

‘Igor: The Bird Who Couldn’t Sing’

(Farrar Straus Giroux, $16, ages 4-8) by Satoshi Kitamura.

What happens when you’re not good at the one thing you’re supposed to be good at? Igor, the bird who can’t carry a tune, finds an unlikely partner and sings a duet.