Philip C. Stead

Bernadette and friends set off on a wacky mission to find one of her missing herd. (Ages 10 and up)

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A plucky young goatkeeper sets out on a misadventurous rescue mission in this uproarious debut novel with premium hardcover features, perfect for fans of Kate DiCamillo and Lemony Snicket. In a kingdom ruled by a capricious king, the castle rests on the backs of twenty-four goats, and the welfare of those goats rests on the back of a girl called Bernadette. So when one goat escapes, it's up to her--with the help of a very forgetful wizard and a Boat That Does Not Grant Wishes--to bring it back safely. Her task may be straightforward, but this book is anything but. Like a swirling herd of restless goats, the chapters are all out of order. The ending may prove to have been the beginning all along. All the while, the author of Bernadette's saga--a character himself--hurries to write her a resolution, with very mixed results. And if you're feeling lost, don't worry; the story has twenty-four morals, of varying advisability, to edify you along the way. Award-winning picture book author and illustrator Philip Stead makes a confident debut as a novelist in this laugh-out-loud, one-of-a-kind illustrated tale, chock-full of running gags, broken fourth walls, and underdog triumph. Gilded edges, a velvet-touch jacket with foil accents and embossing, a foil-stamped cloth case and printed endpapers make A Potion, a Powder, a Little Bit of Magic as thrilling to hold as it is to open, a perfect gift for any young reader.

Meet Amos McGee, a kind and gentle zookeeper who has very special friends at the zoo! Every day, he makes sure to spend quality time with each one. He runs races with the tortoise, keeps the shy penguin company, plays hide-and-seek with the rhinoceros, and even reads bedtime stories to the owl. But what happens when Amos wakes up feeling too sick to go to work? His loyal animal friends know just what to do! They decide it's their turn to visit Amos and take care of him, bringing comfort and cheer right to his home. This heartwarming story shows that true friendship means being there for each other, no matter what.

Bear is a patient friend. (Ages 3 to 7)

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

Notes from Mark Twain's archives form the basis of a fairy tale about Johnny, a poor boy who must rescue a prince. (Ages 8 to 12)

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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 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 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

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"Based on a set of unfinished Mark Twain notes for a children's story, this is the tale of Johnny, a young boy with a magical ability to speak to animals who sets off to rescue a stolen prince"--