Sometimes an author's manuscript has to go through a whole lot of changes before an editor agrees to publish the book. Main characters may change or even be removed completely! Do you know what bestselling picture book was originally titled "A Week with Willi Worm" when the author initially submitted it to his/her editor? Put your guesses in the comments below and I'll be back at the end of the week with the answer!   READ MORE

In March we start looking for early signs of spring. The first flowers in the garden, green buds on trees, the return of songbirds and, of course, rainy days. Grey, rainy days can still bring the chance for bursts of bright color -- seen in children's raincoats and galoshes, cheerful umbrellas, and if you're lucky, a rainbow in the sky. This week's puzzler is filled with images from picture books of rainbows. Can you name each book? Put your guesses in the comments below and I'll be back at the end of the week with the answers. READ MORE

Happy March! After a pretty mild winter here in New England, March came in with a delightful snowstorm. Mother Nature's way of reminding us that winter isn't over until she says it's over! There's a common saying that March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb, so for this week's puzzler, we have images of lions and lambs. Can you name each picture book correctly? Put your guesses in the comments below and I'll be back at the end of the week with the answers. READ MORE

We're close to spring. I can feel it. This may very well be the most mild winter I've ever experienced. It's not even March and already I can see little bits of green poking up in my flower gardens as my daffodils and tulips emerge. This has put me in a mood for the color green! So, for this week's puzzler, I've collected ten green covers of popular picture books. Can you name each book from the small glimpse of its cover? Put your guesses in the comments below and I'll be back at the end of the week with the answers. Think spring! READ MORE

The winter is always my favorite time to spend time in my kitchen, roll up my sleeves and cook up something delicious or warm. Whether it's a loaf of fresh bread, a new soup recipe or something sweet for a friend's birthday, spending the time to make something delicious by hand is always so rewarding. Cooking and baking with kids can also be such a great activity. There are tons of kid-friendly recipes for you and your young ones to try available online and in cookbooks. READ MORE

Are you ready for another Picture Book Puzzler? I've given you the synonyms for the words in ten picture book titles. Using these synonyms, can you name each of the picture book titles? Here's an example: The Super Industrious Arachnid = The Very Busy Spider by Eric Carle. Good luck! 1. Don't Permit the Bird to Steer the Vehicle 2. Granddaddy Emerald 3. Only We Females 4. The Ashen Women and the Fruit Thief 5. Sleep tight, Ape 6. The Hushed Tome 7. The Incredible Ovum 8. The Dozing Abode 9. Delusion Flurry 10. A Caller for Ursa READ MORE

We're celebrating 50 years of The Phantom Tollbooth here at The Carle! Our current exhibition, Growing Every Which Way but Up: The Children's Book Art of Jules Feiffer, includes original illustrations from the now classic children's novel. We're also hosting book signings with author Norton Juster and illustrator Jules Feiffer, as well as the guest curator, Leonard Marcus, who is the author of the newly released The Annotated Phantom Tollbooth and just this weekend held a Phantom Tollbooth Day! READ MORE

Have you visited our Barbara Elleman Research Library (BERL) yet here at The Carle? The BERL is a non-circulating research collection of roughly 3,000 professional resources and children's books devoted to the study of children's literature and the visual arts. READ MORE

I'm so berry excited for another Picture Book Puzzler! Today's Puzzler is made up of ten popular children's books that contain fruit names in their titles. Can you fill in each blank with the pearfect fruit? Put your guesses the comments below and I'll be back at the end of the week with the answers. Go bananas! 1. The Little Mouse, the Red Ripe ______ and the Bit Hungry Bear by Audrey and Don Wood 2. Anna ____ and Me by Lenore and Erik Blegvad 3. Each Peach ____ Plum by Allan and Janet Ahlberg 4. Lousy Rotten Stinkin' _____ by Margie Palatini and Barry Moser READ MORE