Most Popular Books by William Steig

Read the book that inspired the famous film franchise in this wonderfully funny picture book. Before Shrek made it big on the silver screen, there was William Steig''s SHREK!, a book about an ordinary ogre who leaves his swampy childhood home to go out and see the world. Ordinary, that is, if a foul and hideous being who ends up marrying the most stunningly ugly princess on the planet is what you consider ordinary.

From Caldecott Medal–winning New Yorker cartoonist William Steig comes a classic puzzle book that will delight young readers as they sound out the coded sentences! U can read this, S? S E-Z! This vibrant and delightful picture book invites little ones to sound out words using the names of letters. Using these gramograms, they can C D B (see the bee) and more!

The charming Caldecott Medal–winning story about a magic pebble that makes wishes come true is now available as an adorable Classic Board Book! When Sylvester finds a magic pebble that will grant any wish, he can’t believe his luck! But after an unexpected scare on the way home, Sylvester makes a wish that has big repercussions.

Dear Friends, I am leaving in rather a hurry to see more of the world, so I have no time to say goodbye to you individually. I embrace you all and sniff you with love. I don''t know when I''ll be back. But back I will be. Dominic It''s time for a change, so Dominic packs his collection of hats and his piccolo and heads out, letting the world take him where it may. When Dominic encounters members of the Doomsday Gang, he easily foils their attempt to rob him. Legend of his victory quickly spreads, and each new friend Dominic meets tells him a story of their own less-fortunate meeting with the villains, and asks for help from the heroic dog. But can one lone dog bring down an entire band of hooligans?

Amos the mouse and Boris the whale: a devoted pair of friends with nothing at all in common, except good hearts and a willingness to help their fellow mammal. They meet after Amos sets out to sea in his homemade boat, the Rodent, and soon finds himself in extreme need of rescue. Enter Boris. But there will come a day, long after Boris has gone back to a life of whaling about and Amos has gone back to his life of mousing around, when the tiny mouse must find a way to rescue the great whale. The tender yet comical story of this friendship is recorded in text and pictures that are a model of rich simplicity. Here, with apparent ease and concealed virtuosity, Caldecott medalist William Steig brings two winning heroes to life. Amos & Boris is a 1971 New York Times Book Review Best Illustrated Book of the Year, Notable Children''s Book of the Year, and Outstanding Book of the Year.

Tiffky Doofky, garbage collector for the town of Popville, is proud of his calling, and quite a gay dog into the bargain. One fine spring morning, while he''s making his rounds, it comes to him that something special is going to happen. Madame Tarsal, the fortuneteller, confirms his hunch and predicts that he will meet his true love that very day--before the sun goes down! "Nothing you can do can keep it from happening," she quacks, and the excited Tiffky kisses her right on the bill. The day turns out to be far from ordinary, but not in the way Tiffky Doofky, or even Madame Tarsal, had expected. A bad-tempered witch is at work here, though she looks just like a harmless old biddy, with her bicycle and red babushka. Tiffky''s adventures under her spell take him so far from Popville and so close to sunset that he begins to despair of ever meeting his beloved. He even decides that Madame Tarsal ought to get a new crystal ball. But just as the sun is touching the horizon, Tiffky has his most perilous encounter, and it brings an ending entirely satisfactory to all, in this charming story from William Steig.

This ebook includes audio narration by Meryl Streep. This winning heroine will inspire every child to cheer her on as she ventures through a bitter cold snowstorm in William Steig''s classic Brave Irene Brave Irene is Irene Bobbin, the dressmaker''s daughter. Her mother, Mrs. Bobbin, isn''t feeling so well and can''t possibly deliver the beautiful ball gown she''s made for the duchess to wear that very evening. So plucky Irene volunteers to get the gown to the palace on time, in spite of the fierce snowstorm that''s brewing-- quite an errand for a little girl. But where there''s a will, there''s a way, as Irene proves in the danger-fraught adventure that follows. She must defy the wiles of the wicked wind, her most formidable opponent, and overcome many obstacles before she completes her mission. Brave Irene is a 1986 New York Times Book Review Best Illustrated Book of the Year. Adapted into a short film in 1989 from director Daniel Ivanick.

From the incomparable William Steig, creator of Shrek, comes a story that proves even a fox can be out-foxed by a clever mouse in Doctor De Soto, a Newbery Honor Book. "Doctor De Soto, the dentist, did very good work." With the aid of his able assistant, Mrs. De Soto, he copes with the toothaches of animals large and small. His expertise is so great that his fortunate patients never feel any pain. Since he''s a mouse, Doctor De Soto refuses to treat "dangerous" animals--that is, animals who have a taste for mice. But one day a fox shows up and begs for relief from the tooth that''s killing him. How can the kindhearted De Sotos turn him away? But how can they make sure that the fox doesn''t give in to his baser instincts once his tooth is fixed? Those clever De Sotos will find a way. Doctor De Soto is a 1982 New York Times Book Review Notable Children''s Book of the Year and Outstanding Book of the Year, a 1983 Boston Globe - Horn Book Awards Honor Book for Picture Books, and a 1983 Newbery Honor Book. Made into an animated short film in 1984 by American director and animator Michael Sporn.

William Steig''s Spinky Sulks is a 1988 New York Times Book Review Notable Children''s Book of the Year and Outstanding Book of the Year. Spinky is convinced that his family hates him and goes off to sulk in his hammock. His brother and sister try to make amends. His mom even brings him a beautiful tray of food. But nothing can get Spinky to stop sulking—not even a circus passing by on his street! Will Spinky ever cheer up? Spinky Sulks is another delightful tale from the incomparable William Steig that will leave readers of all ages smiling. NARRATED by MERYL STREEP.

Castaway on an uninhabited island, Abel, a very civilized mouse, finds his resourcefulness and endurance tested to the limit as he struggles to survive and return to his home. Newbery Honor Book; ALA Notable Children''s Book. Black-and-white illustrations. Copyright © Libri GmbH. All rights reserved.

Yellow & Pink is a witty picture book by William Steig, the creator of Shrek. On a fine day, a thin, yellow puppet and a round, pink puppet sit in the sun. They wonder where they came from. Were they an accident of nature, created by a series of possible but improbable events? Did someone create them? They discuss their theories, and think they may have an answer. But just as they settle on a solution, a man arrives who raises new questions. Praise for Yellow & Pink: "One marvels at the expressiveness, the nearness to animation, of Steig''s vibrant drawings." -The Washington Post Book World "A comic fable that has more clout than the most fervent homily." -Publishers Weekly "Illustrated with simple three-color drawings, this is a book that will delight adults as well as children and lead to some very interesting discussions!" -Children''s Literature

Before Shrek made it big on the silver screen, there was William Steig’s SHREK!, a book about an ordinary ogre who leaves his swampy childhood home to go out and see the world. Ordinary, that is, if a foul and hideous being who ends up marrying the most stunningly ugly princess on the planet is what you consider ordinary.

The Zabajaba Jungle is amazing. Its flora and fauna are like nothing ever seen before. Leonard is the first human who has ever entered the jungle, and perils lie in wait behind each bush. But he has a large knife and is brave, and with his cunning and the help of some animal friends, Leonard makes his way through this dreamy land of adventure. The Zabajaba Jungle is a classic picture book by Shrek creator William Steig.

Pete''s father starts kneading the dough. Next, some oil is generously applied. (Its really water.) And then some tomatoes. (They''re really checkers.) When the dough gets tickled, it laughs like crazy.

Gawain is a loyal and true goose serving as chief guard of the royal treasury. He''d been happy enough with his life at home tending his garden and making sketches of architectural masterpieces. Now he''s being charged with stealing from the treasury. Gawain is certain of his innocence, but he can''t prove it. Will the real thief come forward to save Gawain, or will he live in exile forever?

The Amazing Bone is a 1976 New York Times Book Review Notable Children''s Book of the Year and Outstanding Book of the Year, a 1977 Caldecott Honor Book, and a 1977 Boston Globe - Horn Book Awards Honor Book for Picture Books. William Steig, incomparable master of the contemporary picture book, has never been better than in The Amazing Bone. It''s a bright and beautiful spring day, and Pearl, a pig, is dawdling on her way home from school. Most unexpectedly, she strikes up an acquaintance with a small bone. "You talk?" says Pearl. "In any language," says the bone. "And I can imitate any sound there is." (Its former owner was a witch.) Pearl and the bone immediately take a liking to each other, and before you know it she is on her way home with the bone in her purse, left open so they can continue their conversation. Won''t her parents be surprised when she introduces her talking bone! But before that happy moment comes, the resourceful bone must deal with a band of highway robbers in Halloween masks and, worse, a fox who decides that Pearl will be his main course at dinner that night. And deal it does, with gambits droll and thrilling. Made into a short animated film voiced by John Lithgow, available on streaming and home video.

Plucky Irene, a dressmaker''s daughter, braves a fierce snowstorm to deliver a new gown to the duchess in time for the ball.

Drawings illustrate puzzles of words formed from the sounds of individual letters.

In the further adventures of the hero from the Newbery Honor-winning Doctor De Soto, the diminutive dentist is summoned by cablegram to Africa to aid Mudambo, an elephant with an unbearable toothache. Children''s Choices for 1993 (IRA/CBC)

Rotten Island has always been a paradise for nasty creatures, until one awful day a beautiful flower begins to grow, threatening to spoil the island forever.