New Releases by Lois Ehlert

The classic story of the night before Christmas gets a humorous twist in this engaging holiday picture book filled with die-cuts from the acclaimed and beloved picture book creator, Lois Ehlert. It was a cold, wintery night, and all through the house, not a creature was stirring…except a small mouse! Follow this mischievous mouse on his late-night holiday adventure. The snow is falling, the tree is decorated, and the cookies are ready for nibbling. Just be sure to keep an eye out for Santa!

Title is represented on title page as two hearts with the number 2 between them.

Get to know the “rain fish” that come to life during rainstorms in this gorgeous exploration of nature with vibrant collage artwork from the Caldecott Honor–winning illustrator of Chicka Chicka Boom Boom. When blue sky turns gray and it rains all day, sometimes rain fish come out and play. They swim among discards and debris. Do you see them, too? Or is it just me? Through lyrical text and her incomparable mixed-media collage illustrations, Lois Ehlert introduces readers to “rain fish”—the varied, colorful, and unique little collections of materials that float along on streams of rain water during storms. From a scrap of newspaper with a seashell eye and feather smile to a piece of cardboard with an orange peel eye and a leaf for a fin, Ehlert’s rain fish come in all shapes and sizes. Complete with an author’s note explaining how Ehlert collected the found materials she used to make the book over the course of a year, Rain Fish is a spirited celebration of imagination, creativity, and observing the world in your own way—and it invites you to discover your own rain fish.

Get to know Mole, the underground protector of the garden, in this fact-filled natural history adventure with vibrant collage artwork from the Caldecott Honor–winning illustrator of Chicka Chicka Boom Boom. Some might think that Mole is a garden pest, but the truth is, he is a pest-preventer! Mole keeps worms and caterpillars and other crawly bugs from munching up all the growing veggie plants. And so at harvest time, there is a bounty of yummy goodies for the gardeners to enjoy—and Mole is chubby from all the eating he has done and ready to get cozy in his burrow for winter. Complete with a beautiful glossary identifying all of the different worms, caterpillars, moths, and butterflies included in the illustrations, this colorful gem from Caldecott Honoree Lois Ehlert is sure to delight nature lovers of all ages.

The renowned Caldecott Honoree and illustrator of Chicka Chicka Boom Boom provides a moving, intimate, and inspiring inside look at her colorful picture book career. Lois Ehlert always knew she was an artist. Her parents encouraged her from a young age by teaching her how to sew and saw wood and pound nails, and by giving her colorful art supplies. They even gave her a special spot to work that was all her own. Today, many years and many books later, Lois takes readers and aspiring artists on a delightful behind-the-scenes tour of her books and her book-making process. Part fascinating retrospective, part moving testament to the value of following your dreams, this richly illustrated picture book is sure to inspire children and adults alike to explore their own creativity.

The harvest garden is bursting with delicious vegetables, the pumpkins are decorated and lit, and the mice have their costumes ready. Everyone is looking forward to the annual Halloween-night feast. Scary Cat wasn’t invited to the party, but he seems to think he’s coming anyway. Time for a clever mouse-style surprise to outsmart that cat!

Don’t think dogs can talk? Then you haven’t met Ralph! He’s the smartest pup around, and he can tell you all about whether the path is rough, rough on his paws, or whether he wants to come inside. ( Yep, yep, he does!) Featuring playful, dimensional collage illustrations and a funny and sweet call-and-response text, RRRalph is sure to get little ones laughing (and talking to their dogs!).

Caldecott Honor artist Lois Ehlert invokes birds and beasts from all walks of the animal kingdom in this collection of fun, clever, and witty poems. Beautifully illustrated in Lois’s signature bold and bright collage style, this exploration of camouflage and adornment will both illuminate and delight.

Publisher description

A mother and child plant a rainbow of flowers in the family garden.

A father and child watch the cherry tree in their back yard, waiting until there are ripe cherries to bake in a pie. Includes a recipe for cherry pie.

See:

A counting book depicting the colorful fish a child might see if he turned into a fish himself.

On market day, a farm family experiences all the fun and excitement of going to and from the farmers'' market.

When Fox tells Mole she must move out of her tunnel to make way for a new path, Mole finds an ingenious way to save her home.

The top cat in a household is reluctant to accept the arrival of a new kitten but decides to share various survival secrets with it.

Join hands with artist Lois Ehlert in this moving celebration of family and creativity.

A traditional Mayan tale which reveals how the cuckoo lost her beautiful feathers.

This ALA Notable Children''s Book shares a magical folktale--in Spanish and English--about Fox and Mole who go to the moon with a little help from their friends. Full color.

Un padre y su hijo crecen verduras y luego las usan para preparar una sopa.

El gato se ha escapado. Busca algo para almorzar y el jardín está lleno de pájaros.

Pull on your mittens and head outside with Lois Ehlert for a snowball day Grab some snow and start rolling. With a few found objects, like buttons and fabric and seeds, and a little imagination, you can create a whole family out of snow. "Ehlert uses collages of cut paper and vibrant, textured objects to dazzling effect in her tribute to building a snowman--and snowgirl and snowcat. Her inventive designs extend the reader''s perspective and tweak the limits of the picture-book format."--Publishers Weekly

An escaped housecat encounters twelve birds in the back yard but fails to catch any of them and has to eat feathers for lunch.

A squirrel''s comic misadventures

Lois Ehlert uses watercolor collage and pieces of actual seeds, fabric, wire, and roots in this innovative and rich introduction to the life of a tree. A special glossary explains how roots absorb nutrients, what photosynthesis is, how sap circulates, and other facts about trees. "Children will beg to share this book over and over."--American Bookseller

While teaching upper- and lowercase letters to preschoolers, Ehlert introduces fruits and vegetables from around the world.