Lois Ehlert

This colorful cut-out book, winner of a Caldecott Honor, is a magical manipulation of shapes that turns a lion into a goat, an ox into a monkey, and a tiger into a mouse. These are just a few of the transformations that are made using only nine shapes and 16 shades of color.

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Lazy Cuckoo has a beautiful singing voice and brightly colored feathers — until he loses them while saving everyone's seeds from the burning forest. In the end, though, he retains his signature voice and earns the respect and gratitude of the other birds. This folktale from Mexico is told both in English and in Spanish.

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The alphabet and the luscious edibles that each letter represents are presented in both upper and lower cases. Colorful fruits and vegetables — from apples to zucchini — fill each page to make a tasty smorgasbord that informs and delights.

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A frisky cat stalks brightly colored birds, but always misses them — and ends up with just feathers for lunch. Learn about birds, their distinctive calls, and their lifestyles through this attractive book and engaging story.

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Cutouts preview each dazzlingly colored fish as they swim through the pages of this appealing counting book.

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Vividly colored vegetables make a delicious soup in this handsome and informative book. Additional details are provided in small labels about the seeds that are planted and the vegetables that emerge.

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What does a child do or see others do with their hands? Paint, garden, make different things — and reach out to others. The young narrator's words ring true in this uniquely designed and well-paced glimpse into hands.

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Leaf Man travels, always going where the wind takes him — through fields, over prairies, and past cows and chickens. A lyrical text combined with winsome leaf collages is sure to engage children, while introducing foliage and subtly suggesting a craft activity for autumn (or any season).

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It's market day, and everyone's going to the town square. But this is no ordinary market — it's a veritable feast of folk art from around the world, assembled with Lois Ehlert's impeccable eye for color and design.

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Look at the moon and what do you see? Could it be Fox? Fox convinced Mole to accompany him to the moon by suggesting that huge worms were there. Mole comes down but Fox may still be up there. This myth from Peru is told in both English and Spanish.

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A child plants a tree and watches it grow and change through the seasons. Highly textured illustrations incorporate seeds and other scraps of nature with brilliantly hued paper. Ehlert tells a story while providing a guide to nature in this appealing book.

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Every spring, butterflies emerge and dazzle the world with their vibrant beauty. But where do butterflies come from? How are they born? What do they eat — and how? With a simple, rhyming text and glorious color-drenched collage, Lois Ehlert provides clear answers to these and other questions as she follows the life cycle of four common butterflies. Complete with flower facts and identification tips, as well as a guide to planting a butterfly garden, this butterfly book is like no other.

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From one to one hundred, the numbers (differentiated by their vibrant colors) go up – and ultimately down – the apple tree in this lively and worthy counting companion to Chicka Chicka ABC. The role of zero (0) creates tension ("Will there be a place for me?") and finally a celebration!

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The 26 characters in this rhythmic, rhyming baby book are the lowercase letters of the alphabet. Each has an attitude, as "a told b, and b told c, 'I'll meet you at the top of the coconut tree'" – which probably would have been a good idea until the other 23 members of the gang decided to follow suit.

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