The Purloining of Prince Oleomargarine

New York Times Bestseller! A School Library Journal Best Book of 2017 A never-before-published, previously unfinished Mark Twain children’s story is brought to life by Philip and Erin Stead, creators of the Caldecott Medal-winning A Sick Day for Amos McGee. In a hotel in Paris one evening in 1879, Mark Twain sat with his young daughters, who begged their father for a story. Twain began telling them the tale of Johnny, a poor boy in possession of some magical seeds. Later, Twain would jot down some rough notes about the story, but the tale was left unfinished . . . until now. Plucked from the Mark Twain archive at the University of California at Berkeley, Twain’s notes now form the foundation of a fairy tale picked up over a century later. With only Twain’s fragmentary script and a story that stops partway as his guide, author Philip Stead has written a tale that imagines what might have been if Twain had fully realized this work. Johnny, forlorn and alone except for his pet chicken, meets a kind woman who gives him seeds that change his fortune, allowing him to speak with animals and sending him on a quest to rescue a stolen prince. In the face of a bullying tyrant king, Johnny and his animal friends come to understand that generosity, empathy, and quiet courage are gifts more precious in this world than power and gold. Illuminated by Erin Stead’s graceful, humorous, and achingly poignant artwork, this is a story that reaches through time and brings us a new book from America’s most legendary writer, envisioned by two of today’s most important names in children’s literature. A Bank Street College of Education 2018 Best Children's Book of the Year "will capture the imaginations of readers of all ages"—USA Today, ★ ★ ★ ★ (out of four stars) ★ "Samuel Langhorne Clemens himself would be proud."—Booklist, starred review ★ "a cast of eccentric characters, celestially fine writing, and a crusade against pomp that doesn't sacrifice humor."—Publishers Weekly, starred review ★ "Completing a story penned by arguably America's greatest author is no easy feat, but the Caldecott-winning author-illustrator (and husband-wife) team proves more than equal to the task. . . . A pensive and whimsical work that Twain would applaud."—Kirkus, starred review ★ "The combination of Twain’s (often sarcastic) humor and “lessons of life,” a touch of allegory, and Stead’s own storytelling skills result in an awesome piece of fantasy."—School Library Journal, starred review ★ "Beautifully understated and nuanced illustrations by Erin Stead add the finishing flourishes to this remarkable work."—Shelf Awareness, starred review “drawn with a graceful crosshatched intelligence that seems close to the best of Wyeth.”—Adam Gopnik, The New York Times"Twain and the two Steads have created what could become a read-aloud classic, perfect for families to enjoy together."—The Horn Book "artful and meta and elegant”—The Wall Street Journal "should inspire readers young and old to seek further adventures with Twain."—The Washington Post

Children's Books

Stead, Philip C.

TWAIN,MARK

Animals

Doubleday Books for Young Readers

New York Times Bestseller! 
A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year\nA never-before-published, previously unfinished Mark Twain children’s story is brought to life by Philip and Erin Stead, creators of the Caldecott Medal-winning A Sick Day for Amos McGee.\nIn a hotel in Paris one evening in 1879, Mark Twain sat with his young daughters, who begged their father for a story. Twain began telling them the tale of Johnny, a poor boy in possession of some magical seeds. Later, Twain would jot down some rough notes about the story, but the tale was left unfinished . . . until now.\nPlucked from the Mark Twain archive at the University of California at Berkeley, Twain’s notes now form the foundation of a fairy tale picked up over a century later. With only Twain’s fragmentary script and a story that stops partway as his guide, author Philip Stead has written a tale that imagines what might have been if Twain had fully realized this work.\nJohnny, forlorn and alone except for his pet chicken, meets a kind woman who gives him seeds that change his fortune, allowing him to speak with animals and sending him on a quest to rescue a stolen prince. In the face of a bullying tyrant king, Johnny and his animal friends come to understand that generosity, empathy, and quiet courage are gifts more precious in this world than power and gold.\nIlluminated by Erin Stead’s graceful, humorous, and achingly poignant artwork, this is a story that reaches through time and brings us a new book from America’s most legendary writer, envisioned by two of today’s most important names in children’s literature.\nA Bank Street College of Education Best Children's Book of the Year\n"Will capture the imaginations of readers of all ages"—USA Today, ★ ★ ★ ★ (out of four stars)\n★ "Samuel Langhorne Clemens himself would be proud."—Booklist, starred review\n★ "A cast of eccentric characters, celestially fine writing, and a crusade against pomp that doesn't sacrifice humor."—Publishers Weekly, starred review\n★ "Completing a story penned by arguably America's greatest author is no easy feat, but the Caldecott-winning author-illustrator (and husband-wife) team proves more than equal to the task. . . . A pensive and whimsical work that Twain would applaud."—Kirkus, starred review\n★ "The combination of Twain’s (often sarcastic) humor and “lessons of life,” a touch of allegory, and Stead’s own storytelling skills result in an awesome piece of fantasy."—School Library Journal, starred review\n★ "Beautifully understated and nuanced illustrations by Erin Stead add the finishing flourishes to this remarkable work."—Shelf Awareness, starred review\n“drawn with a graceful crosshatched intelligence that seems close to the best of Wyeth.”—Adam Gopnik, The New York Times\n"Twain and the two Steads have created what could become a read-aloud classic, perfect for families to enjoy together."—The Horn Book\n"Artful and meta and elegant”—The Wall Street Journal\n"Should inspire readers young and old to seek further adventures with Twain."—The Washington Post

Yearling

A comforting and timely new picture book that feels like an instant classic, written and illustrated by Philip Stead, author of the Caldecott Medal-winning A Sick Day for Amos McGee and the New York Times bestselling The Purloining of Prince Oleomargarine.\nThe limitless possibilities of the world outside our windows—and the warmth and comfort of home—are explored in this thoughtful meditation on the imagination, as seen from the point of view of a wise old dog.\nAny child who has ever felt uncertainty about the world outside will be soothed and enchanted by the open-ended, seemingly-unanswerable, and utterly whimsical questions this book poses: "Will I ever be the dawdle of a penguin? Will I ever be the waddle of a snail? Will I ever be the tumble of a honeybee? Will I ever be the bumble of a whale?"\nChildren will love poring over the vivid, whimsical artwork, asking their own imaginative questions, and thinking about their own view of the world outside their window. It's a perfect story for families to share together from the warmth and comfort of home.

I'd Like to Be the Window for a Wise Old Dog

A shy musician makes an unexpected friend in this beautiful picture book from an award-winning duo. The 2019 Great Lakes Great Reads Award Children's Picture Book Winner A girl named Harriet longs to play her cello alone in her room. But when a noisy owl disrupts her solitude, Harriet throws her teacup out the window in frustration, and accidentally knocks the moon out of the sky. Over the course of an evening, Harriet and the moon become fast friends. Worried that he'll catch a chill, Harriet buys the moon a soft woolen hat, then takes him on a boat ride across a glistening lake, something he's only dreamed of. But can she work up the courage to play her music for the moon? In this delicate bedtime story about a shy young cello player who learns to share her music with the moon, the award-winning Philip and Erin Stead deliver another whimsical, visually oriented picture book in their signature style. The duo of Philip and Erin Stead are "one of the most notable names in children's literature" -ABC News A BookPage Best Book of the Year

Music for Mister Moon

Arts, Music & Photography

Neal Porter Books

Follow That Frog!

When a curiously croaking stranger comes knocking at the door, Aunt Josephine launches into a rambling tale about her lifelong pursuit of a rare giant frog. Eccentric Aunt Josephine poignantly ignores a stranger knocking at her door as she tells her niece Sadie the story of her time in the jungles of Peru, cataloguing amphibians for the scientific team of Admiral Rodriguez. When the admiral's son was suddenly swallowed by a giant frog, Aunt Josephine gave chase in a journey which took her around the world. In the tradition of Philip Stead and Caldecott Medalist Matthew Cordell's previous collaborations Special Delivery and The Only Fish in the Sea, this is a story full of rambunctious fun and sensationally appealing artwork.

Action & Adventure

How many dogs live in the neighborhood? Louis decides to find out—by meeting every single one.\nLouis really wants a dog, but his Grandma insists, “There are enough dogs in the neighborhood already.” While Louis disagrees, he realizes he needs more information to support his argument: so he sets out to figure out how many dogs live in the neighborhood.\nWhile Grandma sets out on errands of her own, Louis starts knocking on doors. He meets big dogs and little dogs, dogs with jobs, dogs who eat socks, and dogs who are much missed. (He also meets cats, and birds, and one very big python, but those don’t count!)\nBy the time he gets home Louis is ready to tell Grandma just how many dogs are in the neighborhood. . . . But Grandma thinks he just might have missed one. A particularly loveable dog. A dog who needs a new home.\nMaybe there are enough dogs in the neighborhood after all.\nPhilip Stead and Caldecott Medalist Matt Cordell team up once again for a sweet, offbeat tale about a loving grandparent and grandchild in the tradition of Follow That Frog and Special Delivery. Perfect for dog lovers, of course—but the charming, subtle messages of community and compassion will appeal across the animal kingdom.\nA School Library Journal Best Book of the Year 
A New York Public Library Best Books of the Year 
A Shelf Awareness Best Children's Book of the Year 
A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection\nFrom School Library Journal\nK-Gr 3-What a pleasure to see sprawling urban neighborhood scenes with every kind of adult, child, and dog imaginable, all packed into a picture book. For children who love dogs, this sweet story, charmingly limned by Cordell, follows a grandmother and her grandson, Louis, as they spend time trying to remedy a problem. Louis, resembling a sheepdog with black bangs hiding most of his face, canvasses the neighborhood to find out how many dogs live there after Grandma says there are too many for him to have one of his own. Grandma has a campaign of her own, concerning a vacant lot. By the end of the story, Louis has counted 20 neighborhood dogs, including the one he adopts, and his grandmother has turned the lot into a dog park. Louis's innocent but matter-of-fact narration is entertaining for all ages (with plenty of inside literary jokes to boot), while the illustrations show Cordell's signature sketchbook style of thin black outlines and soft watercolor paint. The art matches the tone of the book, making this a gentle and pleasant read. VERDICT In spite of its outwardly comical premise, this book delivers a ton of information on canvassing, addressing city agencies, amassing data, and getting things done. It can bolster various programs and collections, and makes a great addition to any shelf.-Sarah Westα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Every Dog in the Neighborhood

On a peculiarly long night, three farm animals set off on a daring quest to bring the sunrise. A mule, A milk cow, A miniature horse, Standing in a barn door, Waiting for the sun to rise. &nbsp; As this trio rests in their comfortable barn, a realization slowly dawns on them. . .&nbsp; the sun is late to rise. After consulting barn owl (who always knows what to do), they take Rooster and set off on an epic journey further than they've ever gone before; through the acre of tall corn, past the sleeping giant, all the way to the edge of the world. &nbsp; Fans of Erin and Philip C. Stead's books will instantly love this quirky barnyard trio's magical quest to bring the sunrise, in the style of their previous animal books A Sick Day for Amos McGee and Bear Has a Story to Tell. &nbsp;

The Sun Is Late and So Is the Farmer

When a curiously croaking stranger comes knocking at the door, Aunt Josephine launches into a rambling tale about her lifelong pursuit of a rare giant frog. Eccentric Aunt Josephine poignantly ignores a stranger knocking at her door as she tells her niece Sadie the story of her time in the jungles of Peru, cataloguing amphibians for the scientific team of Admiral Rodriguez. When the admiral's son was suddenly swallowed by a giant frog, Aunt Josephine gave chase in a journey which took her around the world. In the tradition of Philip Stead and Caldecott Medalist Matthew Cordell's previous collaborations Special Delivery and The Only Fish in the Sea, this is a story full of rambunctious fun and sensationally appealing artwork. A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection

She Persisted meets Be Kind in this reinterpretation of a classic fable, whose timeless message of perseverance and hope will encourage readers to stand up for themselves.\nWho will win the war of trust— 
the forceful, spiteful, cruel North Wind 
or the gentle, patient, determined Sun?\nThis thought-provoking, gorgeous story portrays the many different definitions of strength, as told through the powerful bond of three sisters. Together they face The North Wind, a mighty wintry gale bent on destroying the sisters’ old patchwork coats with his harsh words and powerful blustering. But these gray-haired sisters stand firm, bracing against the hateful Wind and his taunts, facing his negativity with practicality, resilience, grit, and gut. Their coats will not be blown off by force.\nIt isn’t until the Sun tries her own methods—generosity, warmth, and waiting—that the sisters make their own decision: it is time to remove their coats. It’s the downfall of a bully, the downfall of aggression, the downfall of the Wind.\nWith beautiful collage artwork and author Philip Stead’s characteristically nuanced storytelling, this retelling of The North Wind and the Sun demonstrates the importance of persistence, the power of standing up for what you believe in, and the triumph of love over hate.\nA Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection

The North Wind and the Sun

Fairy Tales, Folk Tales & Myths

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Stead, Philip C.. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Stead, Philip C.

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Stead, Philip C.. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

The Purloining of Prince Oleomargarine

The Purloining of Prince Oleomargarine

The Purloining of Prince Oleomargarine

I'd Like to Be the Window for a Wise Old Dog

Music for Mister Moon

Follow That Frog!

Every Dog in the Neighborhood

The Sun Is Late and So Is the Farmer

Follow That Frog!

The North Wind and the Sun