BonnerSprings.com

Dora the Explorer may be the star, but it is her older cousin Diego that seems to be sparking the most interest among young readers at the Bonner Springs Library.

“A Humpback Whale Tale!” from the “Go, Diego, Go” series was number one out of the top 10 most checked out children’s books of the year as of Dec. 26.

But Dora wasn’t far behind. Though “Diego and the Baby Sea Turtles” took second place, “It’s Sharing Day,” starring Dora, the bilingual 7-year-old, held firmly at third. Another “Go, Diego, Go!” book, “Diego and Papi to the Rescue,” came in at fourth, begging the question, what is all the fuss about?

“Anything that has a series on the television or DVDs is obviously a big hit,” said Bonner Springs Library storytime coordinator Jeanne Dunbar.

Having an accompanying television series isn’t the only component needed to make a book popular for children, however. “What Color is Your Underwear,” by Sam Lloyd, came in at number eight simply because, as Dunbar said, “Kids love anything that says underwear in it.”

And though Dora and Diego are hugely popular and Sandra Boyton’s “Fuzzy, Fuzzy, Fuzzy,” at the number 10 spot, may not be as well known, Dunbar said all these books have certain definitive aspects in common.

“All of the good books have an excellent life lesson that’s gently put, easy to understand and opens dialogue between parent and child,” Dunbar said. “(A good book) opens the world for children.”

Most important, said Dunbar, is not what children are reading, but that they are reading.

“It’s so important that we get them into the library,” she said. “When you get them as toddlers and preschoolers, you’ll get them for life.”

Other books on the list included “Brisingr,” by Christopher Paolini; “Titanicat,” by Marty Crisp; “Bear Feels Scared,” by Karma Wilson and “It’s Earth Day,” by Mercer Meyer.