When it comes to a gift for a child, you have my compliments if it's a good book. The key word is "good," and by that I mean a book your child will relish – a novel, a picture book, a graphic novel, a comic book or a video game guide. Selecting that book takes a bit of sleuthing. Best-seller lists are not good guides. Better to ask your youngster what he or she likes to read or do, such as sports or hobbies.

Go with his or her interest. Still stumped? Try a gift certificate to a favorite bookstore with a promise to shop and read together. That said, you might consider these seasonal gems:

"Peter Pan" A pop-up adaptation of J.M. Barrie's original tale by Robert Sabuda

Little Simon, $30, 14 pages; ages 4-8

Tinkerbell may well have sprinkled fairy dust on Robert Sabuda while he was designing the paper-engineering for his version of "Peter Pan." It soars with magic. Sabuda's intricate pop-ups rise smoothly and dazzle with rich colors and stunning 3-D effects. The opening scene shows the streets of London at night encircled by cottony clouds in shades of peach and lavender. At the peak is a silhouette of Peter's head.

This classic story of a motherless boy begins in the mini-pop-up book that runs down the outside edge of the left page. Sabuda's condensed version of Barrie's tale flows gracefully through six of these mini-books.

All eyes, however, will be on the six remarkable double-page spreads. Most fun is the underground bedroom scene where the Neverland boys romp in the covers. Most spectacular is Captain Hook's pirate ship, which pops up at full sail – with Jolly Roger, plank and cannons. Perfect for young eyes and grown-up hands, this "Peter Pan" is made for sharing.

"Drummer Boy" Loren Long

Philomel, $18, 40 pages; ages 4-8

In Loren Long's "Drummer Boy," a solitary boy living in a wintry town receives a little drummer soldier during the pre-Christmas season. The boy plays with his toy for hours and discovers that the soldier plays his drum when the air is still. One morning, the swish of a dog's tail pushes the little drummer into the trash.

That accident sends the toy on an amazing journey. He faces rats, shares a nest with three owlets and perches atop a church steeple. Eventually he lands in a cemetery, a fortuitous stop. When the solitary boy brings flowers to a family grave, he finds his soldier almost covered by snow. At home, the boy places his little drummer in the family's Nativity scene, and he plays for the baby and "his heart felt warm."

Long's story pulses with sentiment, toggling from cold to warm, danger to safety. Best of all is his artwork. The lush, oversized paintings in acrylics are rich in color and provide just enough details to open imaginations.

"The Nutcracker" retold by Stephanie Spinner

Knopf, $17, 40 pages; ages 4-8

In "The Nutcracker," Stephanie Spinner retells E.T.A. Hoffmann's Christmas Eve story of young Marie and her impish brother, Fritz, who breaks the nutcracker that her godfather Herr Drosselmeyer made. Spinner's clear, concise storytelling makes the multifaceted tale easy to understand. The artwork by Peter Malone is a bit stiff and subdued, but his mouse king is a wonderful, seven-headed villain, and his multicultural dance scenes leap with spirit.

A 78-minute CD of Tchai-kovsky's music (played by the Utah Symphony Orchestra) comes with the book. Together they make a good introduction to this holiday classic.

Judy Green can be reached at jgreen@sacbee.com.