Erin Stead

Amos McGee, a friendly zookeeper, always made time to visit his good friends: the elephant, the tortoise, the penguin, the rhinoceros, and the owl. But one day, he woke with the sniffles and the sneezes. Though he didn't make it into the zoo that day, he did receive some unexpected guests. -- From book jacket.

Simple text reveals the anticipation of a boy who, having planted seeds while everything around is brown, fears that something has gone wrong until, at last, the world turns green.

After shy cello player Harriet Henry accidentally knocks the moon out of the sky, the moon becomes her friend, and Harriet gains the courage to share her music.

When he misses his bus to the zoo, Amos McGee, a friendly zookeeper who was up late planning a surprise for his friends, gets some unexpected help.

One day Big Bear says to Little Bear, I'm just in the mood for fishing. Me too, says Little Bear. Just in the mood. With this decided, Big Bear and Little Bear are off... almost. First they need the right attire, poles in a red wagon, a basket of freshly-baked scones, and a good book to read. It's unclear how much real fishing will get done today, but one thing's for there will be a cozy nap in the hammock at the end. "Two bears go on a leisurely...

"Follow this touching tale of a boy and his friendship with a horse, by the late poet Ed Galing and illustrated with remarkable tenderness by Caldecott-winning artist Erin Stead"--Provided by publisher.

Bear, with the help of his animal friends, remembers the story he had hoped to tell before the onset of winter.

Advises the reader about what to do, and not do, in order to successfully spot a whale, such as wrapping up in a not-too-cozy blanket, ignoring the roses, and especially, being patient.

New York Times Bestseller!
A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year
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...