It takes extreme measures to get a response out of the stubbornly indifferent Billy in a wry little tale that readers of all ages will surely relate to. Billy can be very difficult to please. Show him something very tall or very small, and he'll say, "whatever." Let him play inside the bounciest castle, and he'll shrug and say, "whatever." Take him for a ride in the smokiest train or the speediest spaceship — it doesn't matter. Billy's reaction is always the same. What might the surly boy say if a hungry tiger came by and his nonchalant dad gave Billy a taste of his own medicine? William Bee's quirky illustrations give an amusing new spin to a familiar scenario that will have both children and adults laughing in recognition.

Whatever

Children's Books

Bee, William

Humor

CANDLEWICK PRESS +

And the Train Goes...

Climb aboard for a quirky look at life on a train, chock-full of sound words and sly surprises. CHUFF-CHUFF, CHUFFERTY-CHUFF...PUFF-PUFF, PUFFERTY-PUFF... Here’s one train you don’t want to miss! From the stout stationmaster to the chickens a-laying, from a traveling teapot to a chaotic class trip, the clever visual details aboard every teeming car will have readers riding this train again and again. Woo-wooooo!

Animals

Candlewick

"A gleefully wicked book for bedtime or any time." - BULLETIN OF THE CENTER FOR CHILDREN'S BOOKS (starred review) Special gift size edition Billy can be very difficult to please. Show him something very tall or very small, and he’ll say, "Whatever." Take him for a ride on the smokiest train or the speediest spaceship -- it doesn’t matter; Billy’s reaction is always the same. What might the surly boy say if he were eaten by a hungry tiger and his dad gave him a taste of his own medicine? William Bee’s wry illustrations give an amusing new spin to a familiar scenario that will have both children and adults laughing in recognition. This new mini edition is a perfect gift.

Whatever: Mini Edition

Literature & Fiction

With deliciously ugly villains and a gasp-inducing ending, this quirky tale of the unexpected will have readers croaking with laughter. Sweet old Mrs. Collywobbles lives on the edge of a big, dark, scary wood, so it’s a good thing that she has a pet frog to protect her. Too bad for the Greedy Goblin, the Smelly Troll, and the Giant Hungry Ogre, who don’t take this little amphibian seriously (GOBBLE)!

Beware of the Frog

Digger Dog

Digger Dog loves to dig up bones, the bigger the better. But for the biggest bone in the world, what will Digger Dog need? The biggest digger in the world, of course! All through the story, the diggers get bigger, the hole gets deeper, and there is a fantastic fold-out surprise at the end!

Nosy Crow

Hop in for a droll read-aloud vrooming with sound words and intricate illustrations of all things that go. What’s this? A huge traffic jam? But everyone’s in a hurry! There’s the family in the paneled station wagon (brrrm, brrrmm), packed to the roof rack with gear for the beach. There’s the be-hatted Duke and Duchess, out for a drive in their ornate Rolls Royce (whisper, whisper). Not to mention a yellow school bus bursting with kids in beanies (chug, chug), an overheating race car (bang, hissssss . . .), an ice-cream truck ("Mamma mia! My ice cream is melting!"), and other vehicles revving to go. Who — or what — could be holding them all up?

And the Cars Go...

Cars, Trains & Things That Go

William Bee’s clever tale of celebrating every kind of winner—warts optional—is brought to vibrant life by Kate Hindley’s hilarious illustrations. It’s time for the Best Monster in the World Competition, and Albert can’t wait to enter his very own monster, Sidney, in the contest! Albert is absolutely sure that his pet is a winner. But, as monsters go, is sweet, well-behaved Sidney really the smelliest, dirtiest, most parasite-ridden monster of all?

Worst in Show

A search-and-find adventure follows a dog named Migloo on a day packed with excitement. This is the story of Migloo’s day, a day filled with food, fun, friends, and adventure. There are things to find and puzzles to solve on action-filled spreads brimming with details. From acclaimed author-illustrator William Bee comes a search-and-find book with a fun-loving dog leading the way.

Migloo's Day

Join Migloo, everyone’s favorite dog, in another comical, jam-packed search-and-find storybook experience from William Bee. Migloo, the star of Migloo’s Day, is back — and it’s the weekend! Migloo and his Sunnytown friends are throwing off their uniforms and living large, going on trips to the museum, the outdoor cinema, the racetrack, and the glitzy fairground. There might even be a film star sighting in the offing, too! Packed with all the interactive features of its predecessor — humorous visual narratives, a dizzying gatefold, and a play page packed with many more things to find — this much-awaited follow-up to Migloo’s Day finds Sunnytown to be funnier, sillier, and busier than ever before.

Migloo's Weekend

STANLEY THE FARMER

Stanley the Farmer

JONATHAN CAPE.

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Books by Bee, William