How can a small sheep become a big orange balloon?
With a lot of imagination and determination—anything is possible!

Mathilda and the Orange Balloon

Children's Books

de Sève, Randall

Animals

Balzer + Bray

A young boy has his heart set on a brand-new toy fire truck, so he is disappointed when he gets his grandfather's rusty old fire truck, Red, instead. But working together, the boy and his grandfather patch Red right up while Grandpa tells his grandson all about the adventures he had with Red when he was a boy.

A Fire Truck Named Red

Cars, Trains & Things That Go

Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)

Toy Boat

A little boy has a toy boat. He made it out of a can, a cork, a yellow pencil, and some white cloth. The boy and his boat are inseparable, until one day when the wind pushes the toy boat out into the wide lake. Alone now, the little boat must face fierce waves, a grumpy ferry, a sassy schooner, and a growling speed boat. How the little boat misses the boy! But if he is going to survive, he must figure a way to do it on his own.
Loren Long has a timeless and magical touch. As he did with The Little Engine That Could, he creates a world of toys and children that go right to the soul. Toy Boat will sail into young hearts and stay there. Praise for TOY BOAT * "With plenty of buoyant charm and imaginative artwork, this contemporary Little Toot has an abundance of child appeal."--Booklist, starred review "A resonant tale with wide appeal."--Publishers Weekly

Literature & Fiction

Philomel Books

The great New Yorker artist Peter de Seve teams up with the author of bestselling Toy Boat in a slightly outrageous fairy tale.
 The Duchess of Whimsy is fancy and fussy—and definitely not ordinary—surrounding herself with wild friends, fabulous foods, and fancy dress. The Earl of Norm (ho hum) is completely ordinary, but he adores the Duchess. She ignores him, until the chef gets sick, and her friends have to make a super supper—which includes tracking down truffles, spinning sugar stars, and looking for quail eggs.
 But the Earl is hungry! He sneaks off to an ordinary grilled cheese sandwich—and suddenly takes the Duchess’s eye. Maybe there’s something to simplicity after all. Maybe there’s something to the Earl after all . . .
 This deliciously told and illustrated love story by the remarkable de Sèves shows how utterly charming and extraordinary a picture book can be.

The Duchess of Whimsy

Fairy Tales, Folk Tales & Myths

This Story Is Not About a Kitten

A heartwarming picture book about a neighborhood coming together to help a kitten find a home, from a New York Times bestselling author and a Caldecott Honor-winning illustrator.\nContrary to what you may believe, this story is not about a kitten, hungry and dirty, scared and alone, needing a home. It is also not about the dog who heard the kitten meowing sadly. Even less so about the woman and child walking the dog, who stopped when their dog heard the kitten. Nor is it about the friends who brought a box for the kitten, or the man who offered it some milk. No, this story is not about a kitten at all—well, maybe a little—but more importantly this is a story about community, compassion, and generosity.\nRandall de Sève’s thoughtful and warm story is sure to fill readers of all ages with hope and the warm fuzzy feeling that rescuing animals brings. Wonderfully complemented by Carson Ellis’s breathtaking illustrations, this book is sure to be cherished by animal-loving readers everywhere!

Random House Studio

Sometimes We Fall

Sometimes you want to eat a juicy red plum at the top of a tree, but it seems so hard. What if you start the climb and a strong wind blows and the tree shakes? What if it rains and you slip and FALL? But those weet-smelling, juicy, ripe purple plums up there look so tasty, and best of all, Mama is waiting for you with words of encouragement. . . . This tender picture book by New York Times bestselling author Randall de S ve, with illustrations by Kate Gardiner, is an empowering reminder that to fall and get back up again is the bravest, and sometimes most delicious, step of all.

An uplifting story that offers a reassuring message about finding the courage to take a small risk--and the sweet reward that may follow. Sometimes you want to eat a juicy red plum at the top of a tree, but it seems so hard. What if you start the climb and a strong wind blows and the tree shakes? What if it rains and you slip and FALL? But those&nbsp; sweet-smelling, juicy, ripe purple plums up there look so tasty, and best of all, Mama is waiting for you with words of encouragement. . . . This tender picture book by New York Times bestselling author Randall de Sève, with illustrations by Kate Gardiner, is an empowering reminder that to fall and get back up again is the bravest, and sometimes most delicious, step of all.

For every kid who has ever had trouble sharing a special toy. Peanut has a new ball and her big sister, Fifi, wants to play with it. Peanut doesn't want to share, so Fifi tries to entice her with the many different imaginary games they could play with the ball--they could tell fortunes, or have a bakery, or let a seal balance the ball on its nose! Peanut is NOT convinced, until Fifi comes up with a spectacular imaginary adventure that Peanut can't refuse: a trip to space! But is it too late for her to join the game? Illustrated in bold graphics and bright colors by an illustrator Maurice Sendak calls "an artist with a superb eye for line and composition," here's a story where the older sibling doesn't always have the upper hand.

Peanut and Fifi Have a Ball

Activities, Crafts & Games

Dial Books

Illustrated by two-time Caldecott-honor winning artist Pamela Zagarenski, this tender, witty friendship story of imagination gone wild, by New York Times bestselling author Randall de Sève, shows how assumptions often cause us to misjudge—and miss out. But with a little courage, new opportunities and new friendships can be made. When Zola moves into the neighborhood, her new next-door neighbor is too shy to go over and introduce herself. Plus, Zola already has a friend to play with—an elephant! What we imagine is not always true, as the little girl discovers. Luckily, she also discovers that being brave can lead to new friendships—and even richer imaginary worlds—in this heartwarming book about friendship, moving, and the power of imagination by New York Times best-selling author Randall de Sève and Caldecott Honor–winning illustrator Pamela Zagarenski.

Zola's Elephant

Clarion Books

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by de Sève, Randall. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by de Sève, Randall

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by de Sève, Randall. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Mathilda and the Orange Balloon

A Fire Truck Named Red

Toy Boat

The Duchess of Whimsy

This Story Is Not About a Kitten

This Story Is Not About a Kitten

Sometimes We Fall

Sometimes We Fall

Peanut and Fifi Have a Ball

Zola's Elephant