Books with author Barney Saltzberg

A spill. A smear. A smudge. A tear. When you think you have made a mistake, think of it as an opportunity to make something beautiful! A life lesson that all parents want their children to learn: It’s OK to make a mistake. In fact, hooray for mistakes! A mistake is an adventure in creativity, a portal of discovery. A spill doesn’t ruin a drawing—not when it becomes the shape of a goofy animal. And an accidental tear in your paper? Don’t be upset about it when you can turn it into the roaring mouth of an alligator. An award winning, best-selling, one-of-a-kind interactive book, Beautiful Oops! shows young readers how every mistake is an opportunity to make something beautiful. A singular work of imagination, creativity, and paper engineering, Beautiful Oops! is filled with pop-ups, lift-the-flaps, tears, holes, overlays, bends, smudges, and even an accordion “telescope”—each demonstrating the magical transformation from blunder to wonder.

Peekaboo! What's hiding behind those paws? Why, it's something woolly, something fluffy, something fuzzy, and something squeaky . . . a colorful menagerie of playful animals, each eager to be covered with kisses. With flaps to lift, a squeaker to press, and a peek-at-yourself mirror at the end, this touchable, smoochable new book from the popular creator of Animal Kisses and Baby Animal Kisses is loaded with fun, surprises, and, of course, plenty of kisses.

Every child who wears glasses will know just how Arlo feels, and will feel better because of it. And every parent will want that child to know that glasses are cool and fun and enable us to do the things we want to do. Take Arlo: He’s a shaggy, free-spirited dog who loves to play catch, until one day he can’t. He can’t see the ball anymore. He needs glasses! In this inventive, interactive (and now revised) picture book created by Barney Saltzberg, the bespectacled author of Beautiful Oops!, who charms young readers and their parents with a perfect light touch and joyful spirit, kids get to do just what Arlo does to solve his problem. They read an eye chart, look through a lift-the-flap phoropter (that big machine optometrists use), and try on different pairs of glasses—movie star glasses! superhero glasses! mad scientist glasses! And they interact with Arlo as he rediscovers how to be the best ball-catcher in the neighborhood and picks up a new favorite pastime along the way—reading! One out of five school-age children needs glasses. Arlo will show them just how lucky they are.

Every mistake is an opportunity to make something beautiful. This is the central idea of Beautiful Oops!, Barney Saltzberg’s beloved bestseller—and now My Book of Beautiful Oops!, an interactive journal for young artists, takes that principle into unexpected new directions. A hands-on journal that’s meant to be personalized—drawn in, painted on, torn up, smudged, or otherwise artistically wrecked—My Book of Beautiful Oops! is filled with folded, crumpled, die-cut, and lift-the-flap pages that will challenge the reader’s sense of play. The friendly green alligator from the first book prompts the reader: Bend a page. Decorate a smudge. Play with splats and spills. Even complete a poem that was accidentally ripped in half.My Beautiful Book of Oops! champions imagination, play, and the courage to express oneself. It’s about self-forgiveness, about turning off that inner critic that clamors for perfection. And it’s about freedom—the freedom to be creative and follow your curiosity wherever it goes. That’s a lesson to celebrate.

"A crackerjack read-aloud with a great finish. . . . This delightful tale of confusion and compassion is just the ticket to defuse potential teasing." — School Library JournalStanley Birdbaum couldn’t be more excited. He has rolled and wrapped and dyed his hair. He has dipped it and sprayed it and made it, well, perfect. He is ready to celebrate Crazy Hair Day at school. But when Stanley saunters up to the classroom, he learns, to his horror, that Crazy Hair Day is . . . next week. To make matters worse, today is School Picture Day, and everyone is expected to line up for the class photo! What’s Stanley to do?

An earnest hamster’s moment in the spotlight is less than stellar — until a squiggly little line and a big burst of imagination let his true talents shine.Stanley Birdbaum is one happy hamster. It’s his turn to be Star of the Week at school! He’s ready to share his favorite food, his favorite toy, and, most of all, his favorite thing to do. Unfortunately, the week doesn’t quite go as planned. His favorite food is, well . . . unusual. His favorite toy? It seems to be on the fritz. And sharing his favorite thing to do is scary, what with everyone staring and that bratty Polly Seedeater making mean remarks. But with a little encouragement from a good friend, Stanley summons his courage and gets his creative juices flowing. Now that’s star power!

Barney Saltzberg’s irrepressible and imaginative books—Good Egg, Beautiful Oops!, Arlo Needs Glasses, and A Little Bit of Oomph!, combine distinctive art, a lively spirit, and paper engineering to bring great joy to kids (and grown-ups, too). Now Barney is launching a new series of board books about a character named Redbird. With his long orange beak, red body, and friendly expression, Redbird calls to mind Dr. Seuss’s offbeat heroes and Boynton’s zany barnyard creatures, while embodying the author’s signature playful style. In Colors, Colors, Everywhere!, Redbird tries to pick his favorite color—is it red like him, blue like the sky, or yellow like the sun? Finally, he concludes: Colors, colors, everywhere! It’s hard to really choose. . . . It’s hard to really know! And that’s the reason why I love . . . the colors of the rainbow!

Spending time with Grandpa is always fun.Singling, laughing, eating, and playing.And when it's time to say goodbye,It won't be for long because He's never too far away to have tea.In this sweetly simple, rhyming picture book by acclaimed author/artist Barney Saltzberg, a little girl tells us about her daily tea ritual with her grandfather where they sing and laugh and clink their teacups with the help of their computers and a video chat. A Neal Porter Book

Barney Saltzberg’s irrepressible and imaginative books—Good Egg, Beautiful Oops!, Arlo Needs Glasses, and A Little Bit of Oomph!, combine distinctive art, a lively spirit, and paper engineering to bring great joy to kids (and grown-ups, too). Now Barney is launching a new series of board books about a character named Redbird. With his long orange beak, red body, and friendly expression, Redbird calls to mind Dr. Seuss’s offbeat heroes and Boynton’s zany barnyard creatures, while embodying the author’s signature playful style. In Friends Come in Different Sizes, he introduces readers to all his delightful friends—some who are tall and some who are taller, and some who are small and some who are smaller. Friends can be SHORT. Friends can be LONG. Doesn’t matter what they look like . . . Friends all get along!