Books with author Peter Sis

A NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLER “I was born at the beginning of it all, on the Red side—the Communist side—of the Iron Curtain.” Through annotated illustrations, journals, maps, and dreamscapes, Peter Sís shows what life was like for a child who loved to draw, proudly wore the red scarf of a Young Pioneer, stood guard at the giant statue of Stalin, and believed whatever he was told to believe. But adolescence brought questions. Cracks began to appear in the Iron Curtain, and news from the West slowly filtered into the country. Sís learned about beat poetry, rock ’n’ roll, blue jeans, and Coca-Cola. He let his hair grow long, secretly read banned books, and joined a rock band. Then came the Prague Spring of 1968, and for a teenager who wanted to see the world and meet the Beatles, this was a magical time. It was short-lived, however, brought to a sudden and brutal end by the Soviet-led invasion. But this brief flowering had provided a glimpse of new possibilities—creativity could be discouraged but not easily killed. By joining memory and history, Sís takes us on his extraordinary journey: from infant with paintbrush in hand to young man borne aloft by the wings of his art.

The train of states is rolling by -- rush to the window and watch it go! The very first car? The very first state: Delaware, of course, followed by Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia ... fifty in all. The caboose? Washington, D.C.! Look closely! What do you see? State birds, state flowers, state trees ... forty-three presidents! Can you find them all? Can you spot the flags, heroes, animals, and landmarks adorning the train of states? Clickety clack, clickety clack. Rush out the door, rush to the track. Where is the train going? Come along! Over the prairie, over the mountains, down a green valley, and into a billowing tent. It's time for a party -- it's time to celebrate the fifty states!

Peter Sís is an internationally acclaimed author, artist, and filmmaker. He was born in Brno, Czechoslovakia, and graduated from the Academy of Applied Arts in Prague. He also studied at the Royal College of Art in London. His picture books for children include Play, Mozart, Play!; the Caldecott Honor Books Tibet: Through the Red Box and Starry Messenger: Galileo Galilei; the New York Times Best Illustrated Book Tree of Life: Charles Darwin; and several popular books inspired by his own children, such as Madlenka and Fire Truck. He has also illustrated bestselling books written by Jack Prelutsky, among them Scranimals and The Dragons are Singing Tonight.