Best Selling Books by Barney Saltzberg

All kids want a dog, and the little girl in I Want a Dog! is no different. She begs, wheedles, and promises anything if she can only have a dog. She really will take care of it and after all, it’s only a dog—not a hippo or a pig. This common plea will ring true to all kids and caregivers (and a few folks in the White House). I Want a Dog! is loaded with pull-tabs, lift-the-flaps, a changing-picture wheel, and a pop-up finale. (And it doesn’t require walking, feeding, or grooming.)

Phoebe discovers a way to avoid her parents'' meddling in Show-and-Tell time at school.

How do you make the ordinary extraordinary? With a little bit of oomph! An utterly inspiring and playful new book on creativity from Barney Saltzberg, author of Beautiful Oops!, A Little Bit of Oomph! teaches the invaluable lesson of throwing your heart into whatever you’re doing and trying just a little bit harder— because with a little extra effort and a lot of oomph, you can make anything beautiful. With a little bit of oomph you can help a sprinkle of seeds—lift flap—become a magical, three-dimensional bouquet of flowers. With a little bit of oomph, small notions—like a goldfish in a little bowl—open out to big oceans (just look through the peephole!). Oomph can transform a dog’s tail into a funny tale (there’s a miniature book involved). Oomph changes curiosity into discovery, daydreams into playthings, your singing into others’ dancing. A triumph of imagination, vibrant, colorful art, and paper engineering, A Little Bit of Oomph! is filled with pop-ups, lift-the-flaps, spinning circles and gatefolds—and, underlying every page, Barney’s timeless message that creativity is for everyone. Just add a little bit of oomph.

Blueberry Bunny says hello and goodbye to his friends, until he meets them all again at his birthday party, in a book that features textured cloth, flaps to lift, and a light bulb.

The banana--age-old comedy gold! For silly kids who love to laugh and stretch their imaginations in creative ways, it''s the newest offering from the bestselling author of Beautiful Oops! Includes 10 lift-the-flaps! It''s just a banana...or is it? There''s nothing to see here--until you lift the flap to find that what at first looks like just a banana is actually a curious lizard, or a boat out at sea, or the horn of a unicorn, or...? The narrator is on a mission to convince the reader that what they''re looking at really is just a banana...or is it? Every page of this book features what appears to be a plain old banana--until the reader lifts the flap to reveal a delightful illustration on every page that transforms the oblong yellow fruit into something new and unexpected. With a few well-placed squiggles, dots, and lines, Saltzberg cleverly reveals a banana turned into a silly smile, a clever mouse, a crescent moon in the night sky, and more! This book allows the reader''s imagination to run wild, encouraging kids to look at objects in a whole new way, while the text hilariously insists--it''s really (pinky promise!) just a banana!

Meet Andrew who loves to draw.

Pull, touch, lift, squeak, and SMOOCH!

Open the flaps to see and feel different animals.

Given blank books by their mother, Seymour, Fiona, and Wilbur let their imaginations fly, then put their stories, poems, and pictures together in a single, shared book.

Because the restaurant has no more stew, and the grandmother who makes it is out for the evening, two friends find a different way to enjoy themselves.

A fearless cowboy rides his trusty bicycle horse through the backyard badlands.

Is a soccer-crazed mom really an alien from outer space? Find out in this funny picture book--a cautionary tale for soccer moms (and dads!) everywhere. The night before Lena''s first soccer game of the season, her father tells her the amazing story of his own first season playing soccer. Ruben Drinkwater''s mom started out like any ordinary parent watching the Atomic Pickles play. But soon, she began to act very differently--she started to look like a pickle, and she started to roar in a very loud voice when the team was scoring goals. In fact, she turned into an alien! Ruben spied on her at home, but she seemed to turn into an alien only during soccer games. Finally, he confronted her and asked her to act like all the other parents. That''s when they discover how much Mrs. Drinkwater''s cheering had meant to the team--especially to the parents, who took up where her cheerleading left off. Soon the whole team had renewed spirit for the game.

A hippo-sized birthday disaster!

Grab the can opener and curl up in the sun with this hilarious collection of cat poems, from the creator of The Smell of Wet Dog. Can we talk about the litter box? You can smell that stench for blocks and blocks If your bathroom had that stink You''d clean it up, that''s what I think! It''s the cat''s world, and we''re all just living in it. From furniture shredding to warm laundry hamper naps, stinky litter boxes to sandpapery kisses, true cat lovers know the frustrations and joys are really all one and the same. Tuna Breath sends up the many quirks of our favorite self-domesticated overlords, from the things we wish they''d dial down to the reasons we have to love them anyway. Barney Saltzberg''s zany-adorable illustrations appear throughout, adding panache to uproarious feline free verse. Feel like someone''s missing? Don''t miss The Smell of Wet Dog, also available now.

The two mice from A Delicious Story are back, exploring the thrills and chills of a scary story in this delightful light-hearted read-aloud picture book sequel--perfect for ages 3-6 at Halloween. “I DIDN’T KNOW ANYONE LIKED BEING SCARED!” Little Mouse says to Big Mouse. After Big Mouse eats the story in A Delicious Story, he and his sidekick are back, and Big Mouse finally tells a story--and this time it’s going to be a scary one! The mice have woken up in the dark, and Little Mouse can’t get back to sleep! So what’s better than telling a scary story? But it turns out that Little Mouse doesn''t like being scared and he didn’t know anyone did! Now what? Soon Little Mouse joins in the storytelling, trying to lighten the scary bits of Big Mouse’s tale. Maybe that way, the story will feel not-so-scary! Barney Saltzberg reunites the two mouse pals in this charming follow-up to A Delicious Story. With witty back and forth between the mice–and a cameo from one particular colorful creature. Parents and children will laugh out loud at this new and exciting (but not-so-scary!) story within a story.

Offers toddlers a colorful, interactive board book where playful animals of various shapes and sizes are hiding behind numerous lift-the-flaps, and comes complete with a squeaker to press and a peek-at-yourself mirror. Children''s BOMC Main. 75,000 first printing.

A young boy who has a new kite finds all his dreams interrupted by the wind.

T-Bone the pup drives in his little convertible greeting birds, flowers, the moon, and a fish. Features lift-the-flap illustrations.