Most Popular Books by Leo Lionni

This was the first of four Caldecott Honor Books by Leo Lionni. Published in 1960 and virtually out of print in hardcover for decades, Knopf acquired the hardcover rights from the original publisher just in time to showcase Lionni's 100th anniversary celebration in 2010 and the book's 50th anniversary. The bold graphics and beautiful cutout paper collages of colorful birds, foliage, and the clever green inch worm are as fresh and appealing as ever, and should appeal to a whole new audience in this accessible board book format.

Leo Lionni’s Caldecott Honor–winning story about a little mouse who gathers something unusual for the long winter is turning fifty! Celebrate this beloved favorite, which now includes a special introduction from noted children’s book historian Leonard Marcus. Winter is coming, and all the mice are gathering food . . . except for Frederick. But when the days grow short and the snow begins to fall, it’s Frederick’s stories that warm the hearts and spirits of his fellow field mice. Winner of a 1967 Caldecott Honor, Frederick has been cherished by generations of readers. “A splendid achievement.” —School Library Journal, starred review “In Frederick, a mouse who is a poet from the tip of his nose to the end of his tail demonstrates that a seemingly purposeless life is indeed far from that—and that we need not live by bread alone!” —Eric Carle

A little black fish in a school of red fish figures out a way of protecting them all from their natural enemies.

From a ringing telephone to a pair of eyeglasses to a wedge of cheese, Leo Lionni's signature illustration style and a toddler-friendly text ask a simple question: What is the object on this page? One of four board books that celebrates the art and imagination of Leo Lionni, this is a perfect introduction to an early learning concept for busy toddlers, as well as a wonderful stepping stone into the world of one of our best-loved children's book creators.

From Caledcott Honor winner Leo Lionni, this is the perfect "tail" for bunny fans everywhere! A tale of two rabbits that celebrates creativity and crafting, from four-time Caldecott Honor winner Leo Lionni. “Let's, make rabbits,” say the scissors to the pencil, and, before the reader’s eyes, two rabbits appear—one drawn by the pencil, the other cut from brightly patterned paper by the scissors. When the rabbits are hungry, the scissors and the pencil provide paper carrots. But one day the taste of a real carrot leads to a magical surprise. Readers will delight in this imaginative tale from four-time Caldecott Honor Winner Leo Lionni.

The gorgeous, Caldecott Honor-winning tale of a very clever fish by beloved picture book creator Leo Lionni. Deep in the sea lives a happy school of fish. Their watery world is full of wonders, but there is also danger, and the little fish are afraid to come out of hiding . . . until Swimmy comes along. Swimmy shows his friends how—with ingenuity and team work—they can overcome any danger. Winner of the 1964 Caldecott Honor, this beloved tale of a brave little fish has been a favorite to generations of readers. To celebrate Swimmy's fiftieth anniversary, we are issuing a handsome special edition hardcover that includes a bonus poster.

Beloved picture book creator and four-time Caldecott Honor-winner Leo Lionni's very first story for children, and a New York Times Best Illustrated Book of the Year. Little Blue and Little Yellow are best friends, but one day they can’t find each other. When they finally do, they give each other such a big hug that they turn green! How they find their true colors again concludes a wonderfully satisfying story told with colorful pieces of torn paper and very few words. Leo Lionni launched his children’s book career in 1959 with Little Blue and Little Yellow, and this 50th-anniversary edition, complete with Lionni’s own explanation of how the book came to be, is sure to resonate with children today.

A charming exploration of the seasons with some of Caldecott-winner Leo Lionni's beloved mice. In January, two mice, Willie and Winnie, make a new friend: a tree. The tree tells them her name is Woody, and the mice promise to visit her all year round. As the months tick by, Willie and Winnie watch Woody soak up the rain, bloom buds into flowers and leaves, and bear fruit. By the end of the year, Willie and Winnie know they've made a forever friend who has taught them all about the seasons. Originally published in 1992, this board book classic from Caldecott Award winner Leo Lionni is the perfect read year-round.

The beloved fable about loving your home from four-time Caldecott Honor-winner Leo Lionni. A young snail dreams of having the biggest house—or shell—in the world. Then one day, his wise father tells him the story of another snail with the same dream. He grew and grew, adding bright colors and beautiful designs, until he found that his house came at a terrible cost. The young snail decides that a small, easy-to-carry shell might be best for a life of adventure and exploration.

From beloved Caldecott winning picture book creator Leo Lionni, this charming tale of sticking together and imagination shows how powerful friendship can be. Two best friends, a minnow and a tadpole, are practically inseparable until the tadpole grows legs and decides to explore the world beyond the pond. When the tadpole, now a frog, returns to tell his friend of the extraordinary things he’s seen, the minnow, now a fish, tries to follow in his footsteps, but quickly finds that land is not what he expected. Friendship truly saves the day in this imaginative tale of a fish out of water.

It's an extraordinary day on Pebble Island for three frogs when one of them discovers a beautiful white egg. They've never seen a chicken egg before, but they're sure that's what this must be. So when the egg hatches and out crawls a long green, scaly creature, they naturally call it . . . a chicken! From award winning-artist Leo Lionni, here's a hilarious case of mistaken identity that children are sure to delight in.

This Leo Lionni book introduces babies and toddlers to his iconic characters as well as 100 essential first words! Perfect for learning and for play, here are 100 essential first words to introduce young readers to the world of Leo Lionni. Along with Lionni’s signature bold art style you will see some familiar and classic characters throughout like Frederick the Mouse and Swimmy. From colors to fruits and vegetables, and so much more, there's something fun to learn and discover on every page!

Elephants are gray. Pigs are pink. Only the chameleon has no color of his own. He is purple like the heather, yellow like a lemon, even black and orange striped like a tiger! Then one day a chameleon has an idea to remain one color forever by staying on the greenest leaf he can find. But in the autumn, the leaf changes from green to yellow to red . . . and so does the chameleon. When another chameleon suggests they travel together, he learns that companionship is more important than having a color of his own. No matter where he goes with his new friend, they will always be alike. Now available as an eBook.

A playful board book from four-time Caldecott Honor-winner Leo Lionni book for the very youngest readers! “What shall we do today?” two mice ask each other. “Read a book? Pick flowers? Go swimming? Play ball? Climb a tree or gather leaves? Play hide-and-seek or dress-up? Talk on the telephone–until it’s time to say good night?” Lionni’s award-winning graphic art is at its best in this very simple board book that begs to be shared with a baby or toddler.

The beloved fable about being yourself, from four-time Caldecott Honor-winner Leo Lionni, is now available in a board book format! Cornelius isn't like other crocodiles. He likes to walk upright and do tricks that no other crocodile can! But his friends are not impressed. "So what?" they say when he demonstrates standing on his head or hanging from his tail. Cornelius is a bit disappointed at first...but things aren't always what they seem. And life on the riverbeach is about to undergo some big changes. Children will see themselves in Cornelius while reading this tale of a crocodile who marches to the beat of his own drum.

The beloved farming fable from four-time Caldecott Honor winner Leo Lionni! While a farmer tends his field of wheat, six hungry crows watch and wait in a nearby tree. When the wheat ripens, the farmer builds a scarecrow to frighten them off, but these ingenious crows are not so easily scared. Bringing this original fable to life with brilliant collages, Leo Lionni deftly draws parallels between animal and human behavior that children can readily appreciate. And once again he shows us that compromise can work magic.

The cheerful celebration of art, music, and cheese from beloved four-time Caldecott Honor-winner Leo Lionni. While nibbling at a huge hunk of parmesan cheese, Geraldine uncovers a cheese statue of a mouse playing what seems to be a flute but on closer inspection is really its tail. That night Geraldine is woken by silver and gold sounds. “This must be music!” she says. And every night the cheese mouse fills Geraldine’s hideaway with beautiful music. Then one day her hungry mice friends ask her to share her cheese with them. Geraldine’s new love of music infuses her with a magic of her own and provides a satisfying conclusion to this delightful tale.

A visit to an art museum inspires a young mouse to become a painter.