Dog And Bear; Two Friends, Three Stories

DOG AND BEAR; TWO FRIENDS, THREE STORIES
Written and illustrated by Laura Vaccaro Seeger
A Neal Porter Book/Roaring Brook Press/Macmillan/March 2007
(Other editions: My Readers edition/March 2012)

What do a frisky dachshund and a slightly timid stuffed bear have in common?  They are best friends.  Here are three funny, beguiling and meltingly tender stories about the ups and downs of friendship, ideal for emergent readers to read all by themselves, or better yet, to share with a friend.

(awards)
Boston Globe/Horn Book Award Winner Best Picture Book, 2007
American Library Association Notable Children’s Book, 2008
Kirkus Reviews Best Children’s Books of the Year, 2007
Publishers Weekly Best Books of the Year, 2007
New York Public Library Best Books for Giving and Sharing, 2007
Parenting Magazine Mom-Tested Best Books of the Year, 2007
Oprah’s Book Club Kids List Recommended Book, 2008
Philadelphia Inquirer Best Books of the Year, 2007
Eric Carle Museum Picture Book of Distinction, 2007
Illinois Monarch Award, 2008
Children’s Choice Award, 2008

(reviews)
starred review/School Library Journal
“The eye-catching artwork shines with humor and warmth… Endearing… Told with simplicity and charm.”

starred review/Horn Book
“Stories about a pair of friends almost always hark back to the enduring richness found in Lobel’s FROG AND TOAD tales.  This duo is worthy of the comparison.”

starred review/Publishers Weekly
“… As inventive and fresh as Seeger’s HIDDEN ALPHABET, the three gentle stories in this inspired collection are utterly charming… After turning the last page, young readers will beg ‘Read to me again!’ for this enchanting trio of tales.”

starred review/Booklist
“Seeger, whose BLACK? WHITE! DAY? NIGHT! was a 2007 Booklist Editors’ Choice, introduces a pair of endearing animal friends in this winning picture book… Perfectly paced for new readers who will love the dose of humor at each story’s close… Charming.”

starred review/Kirkus Reviews
“Seeger moves from the concept book she has become known for to the classic friendship book with ease, her just-right dialogue developing her characters swiftly and cleanly… A happy crossover between early readers and read-alouds.”

Black? White! Day? Night! (1st Edition)

BLACK? WHITE! DAY? NIGHT! (1st Edition)
Written and illustrated by Laura Vaccaro Seeger
A Neal Porter Book/Roaring Brook Press/Macmillan/September 2006
(Other editions: 2nd edition/April 2016)

Having explored the alphabet (THE HIDDEN ALPHABET), colors (LEMONS ARE NOT RED), and emotions (WALTER WAS WORRIED), Laura Vaccaro Seeger now turns her extraordinary talents to opposites in this bright, colorful, and imaginative book.  Here, through a series of ingenious die-cut pages, the reader discovers that things are not always what they seem.  A black bat is transformed into a white ghost.  A sunny day magically becomes a starry night.  Posed as a series of 18 questions and answers, BLACK? WHITE! DAY? NIGHT! is sure to be a big success with small children everywhere.

(awards)
American Library Association Notable Children’s Book, 2007
Child Magazine Best Book of 2006
Nick Jr./Family Magazine Best Books of 2006
Booklist Editor’s Choice, 2006
Kirkus Reviews Best Books of 2006
BookSense Pick of the Lists Book, 2006
CCBC Choices Best Books of 2007
Capitol Choices Noteworthy Book for Children, 2007
Bank Street College of Education Best Books of 2006
Pennsylvania Center for the Book “Baker’s Dozen”, 2006
Eric Carle Museum Picture Book of Distinction, 2006

(reviews)
starred review/Kirkus Reviews
“Using the same format as her stunning HIDDEN ALPHABET, Seeger presents readers with another eye-catching concept book… From beginning to end, another winner from Seeger.”

starred review/School Library Journal
“Opposites attract and expand in this playful celebration.”

starred review/Booklist
“Children will be captivated from the very first page… From front to back and beginning to end, this is a winner.”

Horn Book
“Classy… Appealing… Clever… A thoughtful, well-packaged offering.”

Publishers Weekly
“This playful volume banks on uncertainty and surprise… The question marks and exclamation points remind readers to keep inquiring in this satisfying package.”

recommended book/Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
“No doubt there’s a language-arts lesson here for the taking, but expect it to be trumped by the sheer inventiveness of the presentation.”

Walter Was Worried (1st Edition)

WALTER WAS WORRIED (1st Edition)
Written and illustrated by Laura Vaccaro Seeger
A Neal Porter Book/Roaring Brook Press/Macmillan/September 2005
(Other editions: 2nd edition/April 2016)

With the originality and verve that marked THE HIDDEN ALPHABET and LEMONS ARE NOT RED, Laura Vaccaro Seeger once again creates a distinctive book for young children.

On the first page the reader is greeted by the title sequence.  Opposite the text is a portrait of a very worried Walter.  But wait!  The very letters that spell worried form his facial features as well as his expression!  Gradually a simple story unfolds as other characters are introduced, and the sky grows dark, the fog rolls in, lightning strikes, and thunder shakes the trees…

(awards)
American Library Association Notable Children’s Book, 2006
Child Magazine Best Books of 2005
CCBC Choices Best Books of 2005
IRA Children’s Choice Best Book, 2006
Eric Carle Museum Picture Book of Distinction, 2005

(reviews)
School Library Journal
“Inventive… There is surprising depth in this wonderful collaboration of art and story.”

recommended/Children’s Literature
“Another extraordinary alphabet-based book from Laura Vaccaro Seeger… WALTER WAS WORRIED has it all: alliteration, story line, vivid paintings, and the most unique use of alphabet letters.”

Kirkus Reviews
“Moods can change as quickly as the weather, and this innovative concept book cleverly illustrates the range and volatility of both… Lovely muted paintings… Opportunities for read-aloud abound here.”

Publishers Weekly
“Seeger gives new meaning to the word typeface!”

Lemons Are Not Red (1st Edition)

LEMONS ARE NOT RED (1st Edition)
Written and illustrated by Laura Vaccaro Seeger
A Neal Porter Book/Roaring Brook Press/Macmillan/November 2004
(Other editions: 2nd edition/April 2016)

Laura Vaccaro Seeger introduces young children to the world of color in this simple, original, and utterly beguiling book.  As red lemons magically turn yellow, purple carrots turn orange, and white reindeer turn brown young readers’ faces are sure to break into smiles.

(awards)
American Library Association Notable Children’s Book, 2005
Child Magazine Best Books of 2004
New York Public Library Best Books for Giving and Sharing, 2004
CBS This Morning Best Books for Gift Giving, 2004
Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books Best Books of 2004
Capitol Choices Noteworthy Book for Children, 2005
CCBC Choices Best Books of 2004

(reviews)
starred review/Publishers Weekly
“Having expertly explored letters in THE HIDDEN ALPHABET, Seeger once again delivers a compositionally faultless primer.”

starred review/Kirkus Reviews
“Seeger has done marvelous things with her brushwork, from impasto to shimmering smoothness… Clever, imaginative, and utterly beguiling.”

recommended/Children’s Literature
“This delightful, wonderfully illustrated book is fun and engaging… A must-have for any collection.”

School Library Journal
“This offering will delight preschoolers.”

Horn Book
“The colors and textures are nearly edible.”

The Hidden Alphabet (1st Edition)

THE HIDDEN ALPHABET (1st Edition)
Written and illustrated by Laura Vaccaro Seeger
A Neal Porter Book/Roaring Brook Press/Macmillan/October 2003
(Other editions: 2nd edition/December 2010)

Here is a fresh and imaginative way to look at the alphabet.  Turn to the first page and you’ll be greeted by a picture of an arrowhead, surrounded by a simple black frame.  Once you lift the frame, you’ll find the arrowhead is magically transformed into the letter A.  And so it goes, from Balloons, Cloud, and Door through Leaf and Mice to Yolk and Zipper.  Bold distinctive images and a simple yet ingenious format make this an alphabet book to treasure.   

(awards)
American Library Association Notable Children’s Book, 2004
Child Magazine Best Books of 2003
New York Public Library Best Books for Giving and Sharing, 2003
NBC Today Show Best Books for Gift Giving, 2003
Kirkus Best Books of 2003
Children’s Literature Choices Best Books of 2004
Capitol Choices Noteworthy Book for Children, 2004
CCBC Choices Best Books of 2003
Eric Carle Museum Picture Book of Distinction, 2003   

(reviews)
starred review/Kirkus Reviews
“An outstanding alphabet book… Each page comes as an ingenious surprise… Beautifully designed, fascinating to browse and eminently successful.”

starred review/Publishers Weekly
“An artful ABC… A sophisticated presentation… The design is unerringly elegant.”

starred review/School Library Journal
“HIDDEN ALPHABET is a visual delight… Seeger’s sophisticated paintings make this a fascinating artistic experience as well as a learning opportunity.”

Horn Book
“A concept book with a capital C… This is great bookmaking, and a
snazzy-though sophisticated-addition to the alphabet bookshelf.“

Booklist
“Striking graphic design… A book that manages to be both child friendly and visually exciting.”

Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
“Each page is executed with polish and panache…This is begging for use in art class.”

I Had a Rooster

I HAD A ROOSTER
Illustrated by Laura Vaccaro SeegerViking/Penguin Putnam/September 2001
(Other editions: StarWalk Kids/eBook edition/2012)

Here’s an original version of a traditional folk song.  Start with a crowing rooster and turn the pages to see the animals pile up, one by one.  The stepped pages offer a creative way to read (or sing!) a cumulative story without leaving any of the animals behind.
(Includes an audio CD featuring Pete Seeger plus two songs by Mike and Peggy Seeger.)   

(awards)
CCBC Choices Best Books of 2001
Winner of the QED Award of Excellence   

(reviews)
CCBC Book of the Week
“Ingenious page design… Vibrantly colored expressionistic paintings… A huge hit with young children whose enthusiasm for repeated singings leaves the song ringing in the consciousness of whoever gets to share the fun.”

Publishers Weekly
“Based on a concept by Ruth Crawford Seeger, Vaccaro Seeger’s finely tuned oils illustrate the text.”

Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
“The cumulative structure is ingeniously interpreted… Audience participation is requisite… Youngsters will get a kick out of turning the cleverly formatted pages as well as singing along.”

recommended/Children’s Literature
“Young readers and singers will take delight in this original version of a traditional folk song… The illustrations are vivid, playful, and amusing.”

(The hardcover edition of this book has limited availability – For copies, please contact inquiries@studiolvs.com)