New Releases by Barney Saltzberg

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.

Frog and Toad meets The Little Prince in this touching social emotional learning picture book by acclaimed creator Barney Saltzberg about a determined boulder who yearns to get close enough to his cactus friend to see her flowers bloom, and the thoughtful rabbit who makes their wish come true. In a vast, open desert, Boulder is convinced that today is the day he’ll see his shy friend Cactus’s flowers bloom. “I’ve dreamt of seeing them up close,” he tells her. But Boulder is too far away, and he can’t move anyway! Nonetheless, Boulder is certain today will be different. Cactus isn’t so sure, but Boulder believes. Unbeknownst to the two friends, enterprising Rabbit observes their plight and decides to help out. As Boulder and Cactus talk more about their dreams, Rabbit works harder and harder to make their wish a reality. The task is sisyphean, but with courage, determination, and a little bit of kismet, Rabbit might just move mountains.

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!

"You ate the story?" says one mouse to the other in this funny, heartfelt read-aloud with pitch-perfect repartee and Barney Saltzberg''s signature take on the joys of creativity. Two mice—one big and one small—have a terrible problem. Little Mouse is looking for a story—they’re in a book, after all!—and Big Mouse has to admit the truth. The story is gone. And (gasp!) he ate it. That is not okay with Little Mouse, who is all ready to hear a story and will settle for nothing less. Saltzberg''s improvisational dialogue showcases both the patience required of true creativity and the dazzling on-the-spot storytelling that can happen when you get in the flow. In the end, these endearing mice work out their conflict— and make the reader realize that they’ve been delivering a story all along. Parents and children will want to take this satisfying comedic journey together again and again.

From the bestselling author of Beautiful Oops! and I Want to Be Mad for a While, Barney Saltzberg, comes a playful and heartfelt new sibling book! This sweet, lyrical read-aloud shares all the love young siblings feel as they count down the days to their new baby’s arrival! Following an adorable young elephant sibling who shares the boundless love and excitement for this soon-to-be new family member, this is a touching tribute to the most special relationship siblings have. Told with Barney Saltzberg’s vibrant, bold artwork and playfully tender text, this book is perfect for expectant families eagerly anticipating the BIG DAY.

Discover an exploration of BIG feelings that is perfect for fans of social-emotional bestsellers When Sophie Gets Angry -- Really, Really Angry and My Mouth Is a Volcano, from the bestselling author of Beautiful Oops!, Barney Saltzberg! Sometimes it helps when we talk. Sometimes there''s nothing to say. I just need a little alone time to make the mad go away. Discover a universally relatable story about one little cat who just wants to be MAD... at least for a little while! With gentle text and bold, vibrant illustrations, Barney Saltzberg encourages readers to "feel what they feel" and express their emotions, helping young ones develop key tools for social-emotional literacy. A must-have for any toddler caregiver. This book empowers children on the topic of anger, letting them know that it''s okay to feel mad sometimes. Because after you let yourself feel mad... then you can start to feel GLAD!

How creatively do you see things? She took photographs of things she loved and sent them to him. He drew pictures on her photographs of things he saw and sent them back to her. Real-life friends Barney Saltzberg and Jamie Lee Curtis (Just One More Sleep, 2024) share their fun, funny, and imaginative creations, encouraging readers to find their own unique perspectives lurking in puddles and noodles, fruit and flowers. This project was born out of a school visit where Jamie complimented Barney''s creativity, lamenting her own inability to draw . . . and Barney countered that everyone is creative in their own way. They joined forces to create a book that is sure to inspire kids of all ages.

We''re all in the same boat, both literally and metaphorically, in this playful look at how we can work together for the common good. The animals in this boat discover that working together gets them much further and is more fun than trying to go their separate ways. Barney Saltzberg (Enough Is Enough) brings his trademark humor to a group of animals who learn they’ll sink or swim together. Teamwork matters when we''re all in the same boat!

One of these is not like that other--and that''s great! This gently subversive picture book points out-- and celebrates!-- the differences between subjects. Barney Saltzberg''s hilarious and delightfully direct text and simple illustrations introduce children to the concept and splendor of inclusiveness, through recognizing who or what''s different on each spread and celebrating the unity as it is. For example, the reader sees three cows and an elephant accompanied by the text "One of these is not like the other," turn the page... and all four animals take part in an exuberant conga line and say "that''s just fine with us"! In a series of similar examples children are encouraged to notice both the similarities and differences between characters and celebrate both. Barney Saltzberg''s picture book is a pointed and timely tribute to the power of inclusivity and as well as a riotous read-aloud.

A funny, sweet story of unrequited friendship from the creator of Beautiful Oops! and Crazy Hair Day. Dog likes Rabbit. Rabbit likes Bunny. But Bunny ignores Rabbit. How will the friendship triangle resolve? Written in four parts, this picture book navigates the pitfalls of budding friendship and explores the rewards of patience under the sure hand of seasoned author/illustrator Barney Saltzberg.

Every brother and sister has "enough is enough" moments. Saltzberg, the author of Beautiful Oops!, offers a creative solution for how to stop a fight by exploring space, time, and the pleasures of a good story read together.

Every mistake is an opportunity to make something beautiful. This is the central idea of Beautiful Oops!, Barney Saltzberg’s beloved bestseller—and now My Book of Beautiful Oops!, an interactive journal for young artists, takes that principle into unexpected new directions. A hands-on journal that’s meant to be personalized—drawn in, painted on, torn up, smudged, or otherwise artistically wrecked—My Book of Beautiful Oops! is filled with folded, crumpled, die-cut, and lift-the-flap pages that will challenge the reader’s sense of play. The friendly green alligator from the first book prompts the reader: Bend a page. Decorate a smudge. Play with splats and spills. Even complete a poem that was accidentally ripped in half. My Beautiful Book of Oops! champions imagination, play, and the courage to express oneself. It’s about self-forgiveness, about turning off that inner critic that clamors for perfection. And it’s about freedom—the freedom to be creative and follow your curiosity wherever it goes. That’s a lesson to celebrate.

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.

Barney Saltzberg’s irrepressible and imaginative books—Good Egg, Beautiful Oops!, Arlo Needs Glasses, and A Little Bit of Oomph!, combine distinctive art, a lively spirit, and paper engineering to bring great joy to kids (and grown-ups, too). Now Barney is launching a new series of board books about a character named Redbird. With his long orange beak, red body, and friendly expression, Redbird calls to mind Dr. Seuss’s offbeat heroes and Boynton’s zany barnyard creatures, while embodying the author’s signature playful style. In Friends Come in Different Sizes, he introduces readers to all his delightful friends—some who are tall and some who are taller, and some who are small and some who are smaller. Friends can be SHORT. Friends can be LONG. Doesn’t matter what they look like . . . Friends all get along!

No matter how far apart they are, a little girl and her grandfather share a cup of tea every day at half past three.

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.

Meet Andrew who loves to draw.

After visiting the eye doctor and getting fitted with glasses, Arlo the dog is able to catch the ball thrown by his owner. Includes eye chart, fold-out vision-testing machine, and four pairs of try-on glasses.

A life lesson that all parents want their children to learn: It’s OK to make a mistake. In fact, hooray for mistakes! A mistake is an adventure in creativity, a portal of discovery. A spill doesn’t ruin a drawing—not when it becomes the shape of a goofy animal. And an accidental tear in your paper? Don’t be upset about it when you can turn it into the roaring mouth of an alligator. An award winning, best-selling, one-of-a-kind interactive book, Beautiful Oops! shows young readers how every mistake is an opportunity to make something beautiful. A singular work of imagination, creativity, and paper engineering, Beautiful Oops! is filled with pop-ups, lift-the-flaps, tears, holes, overlays, bends, smudges, and even an accordion “telescope”—each demonstrating the magical transformation from blunder to wonder.

Illustrations and rhymes celebrate what makes each season special, from baby chicks in the spring through a snowman in the winter.

Pull, touch, lift, squeak, and SMOOCH!

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.)

Stanley is excited about bringing the class pet, a bird, home for the weekend, but when his friend Larry urges him to open the cage and let Figgy out to fly, it is hard to know who is to blame for the ensuing disaster.

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.

Excited about being "star of the week" at school, Stanley spends a lot of time choosing and preparing his favorite things to share, but becomes discouraged when his classmates make fun of what he likes. 20,000 first printing.

A little boy who loves dogs describes their various characteristics.

Open the flaps to see and feel different animals.