A warm, funny picture book about the perfect summer's day, from beloved author and illustrator Lane Smith. It's a perfect day for everyone. Cat is lounging among the daffodils. Dog is sitting in the wading pool, deep in the cool water. Chickadee is eating fresh seed from the birdfeeder. Squirrel is munching on his very own corncob. Today is a perfect day in Bert's backyard. Until Bear comes along, that is. Bear crushes the daffodils, drinks the pool water, and happily gobbles up the birdseed and corncob. Today was a perfect day for Cat, Dog, Chickadee, and Squirrel. Now, it's just a perfect day for Bear. Lane Smith uses perfect pacing and vibrant illustrations to emphasize the power of perspective in this hilarious picture book a group of happy animals whose lives are overturned by a rather intrusive bear.

Author Biography

Lane Smith is the creator of a shelf of books, including the New York Times bestselling It's a Book and its companion,It's a Little Book. The beautiful Caldecott Honor-winning Grandpa Green can also be found there alongside his brilliantly quirky collaborations with John Scieszka: The True Story of the Three Little Pigs and The Stinky Cheeseman and Other Fairly Stupid Tales. He has also illustrated Roald Dahl's James and the Giant Peach and collaborated on the conceptual design of the Disney movie adaptation. In 2012, the Eric Carle Museum named him a Carle Artist for "lifelong innovation in the field of children's picture books," and in 2014 he was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Society of Illustrators. He also illustrated the instant classic, exquisitely beautiful There Is a Tribe of Kids. Lane Smith and his wife, the designer Molly Leach, live in a small town in rural Connecticut, USA.