Books with author Maggie Smith

A heartwarming and cathartic book for anyone who has ever loved, and lost, a cat.This is the story of a cat, told by the little girl who loved him best.From his first plaintive mew to his last loving purr, Desser was an essential member of the family. And for the little girl, especially, he was a constant companion. He was the catalyst for her first steps, thrilled when she got her first big bed, and he was waiting for her after her first day of school. But as the girl grows bigger, Desser grows older. And eventually it is time to say good-bye. Still, by telling his story and remembering him well, the girl finds a way to keep him alive in her heart.With the simplest words and truly adorable illustrations, Maggie Smith captures the special bond we have with our pets and offers a helpful method for coping with their loss.

At Penelope Pig's sleepover party, six pigs in pj's eat pizza and pasta, pound a pinata, pin the tail on the pony, prance to piano, and then form a precarious pyramid--collapsing, of course, into a sqealing pig pile! Maggie Smith combines rollicking rhymes and infectious alliterations to make a perfectly pleasing book filled with fun and the letter P. And while there are scads of P words in the text, the art has even more--the pictures are filled with more than 75 objects beginning with the letter P for young readers to find. The playful pictures also introduce other preschool concepts, such as colors, shapes, patterns, and counting. Pigs in Pajamas offers a fun way to get preschoolers thinking about language and building their vocabularies. Party on, Penelope Pig!

Maggie Smith's rhythmic, occasionally rhyming text brings us through a busy day with baby. We count up from one to ten as baby gets out of the bath, gets dressed, has a meal, and heads outside with mom to play. Then we count down again from ten to one as baby notices flowers and birds, splashes in puddles, plays with puppies, and gets dirty enough . . . to need another bath.The illustrations are bright and busy and filled with things to look at and count. And each spread has a number line on the side with the number of things to be counted on that page highlighted to help youngsters count up to ten and back down again to one.One Naked Baby is a perfect blend of counting book and story that children will want to hear and look at again and again.

A heartwarming and cathartic book for anyone who has ever loved, and lost, a cat.This is the story of a cat, told by the little girl who loved him best.From his first plaintive mew to his last loving purr, Desser was an essential member of the family. And for the little girl, especially, he was a constant companion. He was the catalyst for her first steps, thrilled when she got her first big bed, and he was waiting for her after her first day of school. But as the girl grows bigger, Desser grows older. And eventually it is time to say good-bye. Still, by telling his story and remembering him well, the girl finds a way to keep him alive in her heart.With the simplest words and truly adorable illustrations, Maggie Smith captures the special bond we have with our pets and offers a helpful method for coping with their loss.From the Hardcover edition.

Paisley has been sitting on the shelf at Big & Little Toys too long. He’s seen other animals come and go, but somehow he’s never found his perfect match. And so, taking matters into his own hands, Paisley sets off on a quest to find the special someone he knows is out there for him. He braves many perils in his search, but his intrepid determination is rewarded when he finds the girl of his dreams at last. Well, that’s the way Paisley tells the story. Maggie Smith’s wonderfully warm and touchable pictures tell a different tale. In truth, Paisley is mistakenly thrown away, tossed about, and then left in the lost and found at Lolly’s Laundry, where a curious little girl happily discovers him. But when Pearl and Paisley get together, it doesn’t matter who found who—they are a perfect match. Children will laugh at Paisley’s almost-true telling of his tale and will readily understand his need to feel like he’s in control. Sure to melt your heart, this is a love story that celebrates the power of a positive outlook.

Count your way through a baby’s busy day! Count from 1 to 10 as this adorable baby takes a bath, gets dressed, and eats a snack. Through a day of splashing in puddles and playing with puppies, we count down from 10 to 1. By the end, baby is happy and tired—and dirty enough for another bath! “You can’t miss with a wet baby fresh from the bath, making a gleeful escape covered only by a purple towel. . . . Fans of counting and bath time will be satisfied.” —The New York Times Book Review

Paisley has been sitting on the shelf at Big & Little Toys too long. He’s seen other animals come and go, but somehow he’s never found his perfect match. And so, taking matters into his own hands, Paisley sets off on a quest to find the special someone he knows is out there for him. He braves many perils in his search, but his intrepid determination is rewarded when he finds the girl of his dreams at last. Well, that’s the way Paisley tells the story. Maggie Smith’s wonderfully warm and touchable pictures tell a different tale. In truth, Paisley is mistakenly thrown away, tossed about, and then left in the lost and found at Lolly’s Laundry, where a curious little girl happily discovers him. But when Pearl and Paisley get together, it doesn’t matter who found who—they are a perfect match. Children will laugh at Paisley’s almost-true telling of his tale and will readily understand his need to feel like he’s in control. Sure to melt your heart, this is a love story that celebrates the power of a positive outlook.

It"s a good thing you're not anoctopus!If you were an octopus, you would have eight legs to put into your pants!Follow one little boy through his day as he playfully considers how mealtime, bath time, nap time, and many other activities would be different if he were a bird, a tiger, or any number of baby animals. At the end of the day he realizes that the best thing of all is to be himself!Julie Markes's first picture book is charmingly illustrated by Maggie Smith.

In this gentle picture book, a young girl begins her garden with a bit of earth, good tools, and seeds. Then she weeds and waters and waits. As the seedlings grow and then bud and blossom, Maggie Smith's illustrations grow as well. The first pictures are open and spare, but they grow richer and more colorful as petunias and poppies and zinnias burst forth with each turn of a page. A celebration of a gardener's nuturing spirit, this winning book is filled with wise advice for cultivators of both actual and metaphorical gardens.

When Daisy comes down with chicken pox, Peter proves he’s a friend she can count on: On Monday, he makes her a get-well card–and his stuffed elephant comes to life to deliver it. On Tuesday, he sends two zebras with flowers. By the time five monkeys arrive with balloons on Friday, Daisy is feeling much better. So on Saturday, she delivers a gift of her own–an invitation to come over and play. With very few words, this story speaks volumes about the magic of having a very best friend.

A heartwarming and cathartic book for anyone who has ever loved, and lost, a cat.This is the story of a cat, told by the little girl who loved him best.From his first plaintive mew to his last loving purr, Desser was an essential member of the family. And for the little girl, especially, he was a constant companion. He was the catalyst for her first steps, thrilled when she got her first big bed, and he was waiting for her after her first day of school. But as the girl grows bigger, Desser grows older. And eventually it is time to say good-bye. Still, by telling his story and remembering him well, the girl finds a way to keep him alive in her heart.With the simplest words and truly adorable illustrations, Maggie Smith captures the special bond we have with our pets and offers a helpful method for coping with their loss.