A Busy Year

A charming exploration of the seasons with some of Caldecott-winner Leo Lionni's beloved mice.

In January, two mice, Willie and Winnie, make a new friend: a tree. The tree tells them her name is Woody, and the mice promise to visit her all year round. As the months tick by, Willie and Winnie watch Woody soak up the rain, bloom buds into flowers and leaves, and bear fruit. By the end of the year, Willie and Winnie know they've made a forever friend who has taught them all about the seasons.

Originally published in 1992, this board book classic from Caldecott Award winner Leo Lionni is the perfect read year-round.

Leo Lionni, an internationally known designer, illustrator, and graphic artist, was born in Holland and lived in Italy until he came to the United States in 1939. He was the recipient of the 1984 American Institute of Graphic Arts Medal and was honored posthumously, in 2007, with the Society of Illustrators' Lifetime Achievement Award. His picture books are distinguished by their enduring moral themes, graphic simplicity, and brilliant use of collage, and include four Caldecott Honor Books: Inch by Inch, Swimmy, Frederick, and Alexander and the Wind-Up Mouse. Hailed as "a master of the simple fable" by the Chicago Tribune, he died in 1999 at the age of 89.