Gillian Johnson – illustratör

“Melonhead and his friends inhabit a world . . . where inventiveness and camaraderie reign supreme.” —Kirkus Reviews For fans of Judy Blume''s Fudge titles as well as Carl Hiaasen''s Hoot.Money. That’s what Melonhead and his best friend, Sam, need. Due to a “situation,” the boys have to pay for something they accidentally ruined. Neither of them receives an allowance, so they create the We-Fix-It Company. When jobs start pouring in, the boys feel like they have all the answers. But they soon run into a problem too big for just the two of them to handle. Luckily, their friends offer to help. With teamwork and the courage to dream big, the kids surprise even themselves and deliver amazing results.

Fun in the sun! For best pals Melonhead and Sam, it’s a winter break with grandparents, which is more fun than you’d think! A comical and heartwarming story about friendship, community, and the special connection between kids and those young at heart! My best pal Sam and I are in Paradise, the community in Florida where my grandparents Nana and Jeep live. We’re staying with them while my dad works and my mom is on a trip with her lady relatives. Everything in Paradise is swank and deluxe, and lots of stuff is “For the Convenience of Our Residents.” We’re sure that means free. We especially like the All-You-Can-Eat Buffet.Since Florida is loaded with animals, we’re going to capture a pet for Sam. We considered a wild piglet or a parrot or an armadillo or an iguana, but we’ve decided to find an alligator egg because it’s easy to carry on an airplane and it can hatch once we’re home. All we have to do is come up with a way to get that egg. Luckily, Sam and I are idea men!  Praise for the Melonhead series Melonhead: “Laugh-out-loud funny, rivaling Stink and Fudge in its troublemaker quotient.” —School Library Journal Melonhead and the Big Stink: “The clever dialogue sparkles. A breezy and humorous middle-grade tale.” —Kirkus Reviews Melonhead and the Undercover Operation: “Melonhead’s pure, kid-centric, fun-loving perspective is hard to resist.” —Kirkus Reviews Melonhead and the Vegalicious Disaster: “Melonhead returns with rapid-fire narration and adventure.” —BooklistOnline.com Melonhead and the We-Fix-It Company: “Melonhead and his friends inhabit a world . . . where inventiveness and camaraderie reign supreme.” —Kirkus Reviews

No one needs a wizard and his old bag of tricks—until the day he meets a black cat with a spiffy hat and a lonely heart. Together they share a magical night in Toronto’s Casa Loma castle, enjoying a candlelight feast of tuna and wine and the company of new friends. Originally published in Lee’s 1974 collection, Nicholas Knock and Other People, The Cat and the Wizard enjoyed a second life as a much-praised picture book and is now available from HarperCollins.