Corralling a busy toddler for reading time can be a frustrating task. Not to worry -- reading will get easier as toddlers get older. In the meantime, parents should try to pick a time when toddlers are winding down and read books that have bright illustrations, simple text and page-turning drama as a way to entice their young explorers.

Here are a few great new picture books to try:

• A toddler's day is filled with exploration and fun. But it's also full of mess and mischief as author-illustrator Rachel Isadora demonstrates in "Uh-Oh!" (Harcourt, $16). Much of the story is told through the richly colored pastel illustrations, which show a bouncy African-American toddler doing the things that toddlers do: taking off a diaper, dropping an ice-cream cone in the sandbox and splashing tub water all over the bathroom.

Each of these activities is depicted with two illustrations: The first shows a "before" picture, such as the toddler nicely eating his breakfast, while the second depicts what happens when that toddler energy kicks in -- the breakfast bowl ends up on the boy's head. Isadora's decision to use minimal text and a regular refrain of "uh-oh!" will make this book a guaranteed hit with toddlers everywhere. (Ages 1-3.)

• A group of youngsters is having fun at the playground when the clouds darken and it suddenly begins to rain. Time to go inside? Not yet -- these youngsters want to run around in the warm showers, splash in puddles and make "boats" from leaves. When the thunder and lightning start, however, they know it's time to head home. In "Rain Play" (Henry Holt, $16.95), author Cynthia Cotten uses a lyrical, rhyming text to illuminate the many pleasures of playing in the rain. The spectacular collage illustrations by Javaka Steptoe bring texture and perspective to Cotten's story. (Ages 2-5.)

• One little girl lies wide awake on a hot night. When she feels a breeze, she decides to follow it up to the roof of her apartment building, where she falls asleep under the stars. Written and illustrated by Jonathan Bean, "At Night" (FSG, $15) is a gem of a book. Its small size makes it just right for little hands, while Bean's watercolors perfectly capture first the girl's restlessness and then her wonder at the city night scene spread before her. As a reassuring note, Bean's illustrations also show the girl's mother silently trailing her; the final scene depicts the girl fast asleep in her makeshift bed, while her mother, coffee cup in hand, contemplates the night sky. (Ages 2-5.)

• Anna Grossnickle Hines takes a well-loved nursery rhyme and updates it with sparkling new illustrations in "1, 2, Buckle My Shoe" (Harcourt, $16). An expert quilter, Hines combined fabrics with lots of color and patterns to create the illustrations, which feature a toddler acting out the rhymes. The number pairs in the rhyme are shown as a two-page spread, and, as an extra attraction, Hines has sewn the requisite number of buttons on each number illustration (i.e., there are five buttons on the number 5). Simple but entertaining, Hines' book is just right for a toddler read-aloud. (Ages 2-4.)

• The pond is busy as "green frogs leap/ beetles creep/ finches perch/ herons lurch." Yet not all the creatures are moving, for "six silent turtles sit still as stones." But, as author-illustrator Cathryn Falwell proves in "Scoot!" (Greenwillow, $16.99), those turtles will move when "strong winds blow (and) pond waves grow." Falwell's text is filled with great action verbs, while her collage illustrations radiate color and movement. An illustrated ending note gives young readers a bit more information about the creatures in the book. (Ages 2-5.)

• Author Nancy Shaw and artist Margot Apple team up again in "Sheep Blast Off!" (Houghton Mifflin, $15), the latest winning entry in the series that began years ago with "Sheep in a Jeep." This time, the curious but not very bright sheep end up in space when they venture into an empty rocket ship. Shaw's rhymes are as sprightly as ever, while Apple's illustrations give the book much of its comedy factor as they show a stowaway alien safely piloting the befuddled sheep back to Earth. (Ages 2-5.)

• In "Hello, Day!" (Greenwillow, $16.99), author-illustrator Anita Lobel gives young readers a first look at the sounds animals make. Lobel's text couldn't be simpler, but it is effective and fun, especially when combined with her sun-splashed illustrations. While mainly focused on daytime activities, the book ends with the moon rising, making it a good choice for bedtime reading. (Ages 1-3.)