Books published by Alfred A. Knopf

"A fresh and moving story of a mother's dedication to acquire a coat for her daughter in post-World War II hard times. Anna's mother decides to trade the few valuables she has left for wool and for the services of a spinner, a weaver, and a tailor. Lobel's pictures do a tremendous job of evoking the period. Insightful and informative, this may make children consider how precious the ordinary can become in times of turmoil."--(starred review) Booklist

Kenneth Koch has been called "one of our greatest poets” by John Ashbery, and "a national treasure” in the 2000 National Book Award Finalist Citation. Now, for the first time, all of the poems in his ten collections-from Sun Out, poems of the 1950s, to Thank You, published in 1962, to A Possible World, published in 2002, the year of the poet's death-are gathered in one volume.Celebrating the pleasures of friendship, art, and love, the poetry of Kenneth Koch has been dazzling readers for fifty years. Charter member-along with Frank O'Hara, John Ashbery, and James Schuyler-of the New York School of poets, avant-garde playwright and fiction writer, pioneer teacher of writing to children, Koch gave us some of the most exciting and aesthetically daring poems of his generation.These poems take sensuous delight in the life of the mind and the heart, often at the same time: "O what a physical effect it has on me / To dive forever into the light blue sea / Of your acquaintance!” ("In Love with You”).Here is Koch's early work: love poems like "The Circus” and "To Marina” and such well-remembered comic masterpieces as "Fresh Air,” "Some General Instructions,” and "The Boiling Water” ("A serious moment for the water is when it boils”). And here are the brilliant later poems-"One Train May Hide Another,” the deliciously autobiographical address in New Addresses, and the stately elegy "Bel Canto”-poems that, beneath a surface of lightness and wit, speak with passion, depth, and seriousness to all the most important moments in one's existence.Charles Simic wrote in The New York Review of Books that, for Koch, poetry "has to be constantly saved from itself. The idea is to do something with language that has never been done before.” In the ten exuberant, hilarious, and heartbreaking books of poems collected here, Kenneth Koch does exactly that.

A Robert F. Sibert Honor BookWinner of the Schneider Family Book AwardAn ALA-ALSC Notable Children's BookWinner of the NCTE Orbis Pictus Award for Outstanding Nonfiction for ChildrenAs a child in the late 1800s, Horace Pippin loved to draw: He loved the feel of the charcoal as it slid across the floor. He loved looking at something in the room and making it come alive again in front of him. He drew pictures for his sisters, his classmates, his co-workers. Even during W.W.I, Horace filled his notebooks with drawings from the trenches . . . until he was shot. Upon his return home, Horace couldn't lift his right arm, and couldn't make any art. Slowly, with lots of practice, he regained use of his arm, until once again, he was able to paint--and paint, and paint! Soon, people-including the famous painter N. C. Wyeth-started noticing Horace's art, and before long, his paintings were displayed in galleries and museums across the country.Jen Bryant and Melissa Sweet team up once again to share this inspiring story of a self-taught painter from humble beginnings who despite many obstacles, was ultimately able to do what he loved, and be recognized for who he was: an artist.

An extensively researched, lavishly illustrated consideration of the myths, memories, and questions that gathered around our most beloved-and most enigmatic-president in the years between his assassination and the dedication of the Lincoln Memorial in 1922. Availing themselves of a vast collection of both published and never-before-seen materials, the authors-the fourth and fifth generations of a family of Lincoln scholars-bring into focus the posthumous portrait of Lincoln that took hold in the American imagination. Told through the voices of those who knew the man-Northerners and Southerners, blacks and whites, neighbors and family members, adversaries and colleagues-Looking for Lincoln charts the dramatic epilogue to Lincoln's extraordinary life. During these years, as Americans struggled to understand their loss and rebuild their country, Lincoln's legacy was still hotly debated. The authors take us through the immediate aftermath of the assassination; the private memories of those closest to the slain president; the difficult period between 1876 and 1908, when a tired nation turned its back on the former slaves and betrayed Lincoln's teachings; and the early years of the twentieth century when Lincoln's popularity soared as African Americans fought to reclaim the ideals he espoused. Looking for Lincoln will deeply enhance our understanding of the statesman and his legacy, at a moment when the timeless example of his leadership is more crucial than ever.

When a fierce wind threatens to blow all the little letters out of the alphabet tree, they must band together in words-and then sentences-to create a message that's even stronger than the wind: peace on earth. With their newfound knowledge, there's nothing the letters can't do in this gentle parable about the power of the written word.

The beloved fable about loving your home from four-time Caldecott Honor-winner Leo Lionni.A young snail dreams of having the biggest house-or shell-in the world. Then one day, his wise father tells him the story of another snail with the same dream. He grew and grew, adding bright colors and beautiful designs, until he found that his house came at a terrible cost. The young snail decides that a small, easy-to-carry shell might be best for a life of adventure and exploration.