Leslie Patricelli

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About Leslie Patricelli
"My Grandma was a pastel artist and, for as long as I can remember, an artist is what I wanted to be too," says children's author and illustrator Leslie Patricelli. "My hobby as a kid was drawing cartoons and writing stories, and I started to consider a career in art in seventh grade. When the multiple choice career test I took resulted in a recommendation that I pursue a career in forestry, I went back and changed my answers, so that it recommended instead that I pursue graphic design, which was the closest thing to children's book writer or cartoonist on the list."
Today, Leslie Patricelli's legions of fans are evidence that career tests are not always reliable. Her colorful board books -- YUMMY YUCKY, BIG LITTLE, and QUIET LOUD -- follow her now beloved diaper-clad Baby exploring the world of opposites such as, "Burgers are yummy/Boogers are yucky." Her inspiration for the series came from her son Beck who, at one year old, "was constantly putting everything into his mouth." Says the author, "I found myself saying 'Yummy!' and 'Yucky!' all the time. I began to draw a baby dramatically expressing his taste or distaste for the things he was eating. The idea of YUMMY YUCKY was born!"
Her many other board books featuring her one-haired Baby, including NO NO YES YES, POTTY, TOOT, HUGGY KISSY and MAD MAD MAD were also based on her parenting experiences. "I am inspired by how passionate toddlers are," she says. "I love the way they are so extremely focused on things, and display such intense emotions. It is easy to see what they care about the most."
Her book HIGHER! HIGHER! was selected as a Boston Globe-Horn Book Awards Honor Book. "I credit my daughter, Tia, for writing this book for me," says Leslie. "I was pushing her on the swing at the park when she was two, she started shouting, 'Higher! Higher!' I noticed how the other kids were saying the same thing. We started pretending that with every push I was sending her higher into the sky until she was in space. I went home with the book almost fully formed in my head."
Of her middle-grade series, THE RIZZLERUNK CLUB, Leslie says, "My first book of the series, BEST BUDS UNDER FROGS, was based on my experience of moving to a new school in fourth grade. On my first day, I threw up on the playground in front of everyone! Despite a rocky start, I soon made a new best friend. Fourth grade became one of my favorite and most memorable years in school. Watching my own kids pass through this age as I wrote the book gave me a fresh look at modern fourth graders, so I wasn't just relying on my own memories, but getting to participate in that transformative year all over again."
Of THE RIZZLERUNK CLUB: THE BIG BAD LIES, she says, "My best friend and I lied to each other in fourth grade concerning the murder of a classroom rat and an inappropriate doodle. I remember the feeling of carrying around the weight of my lie, as well as the astonishment that my best friend would lie to me. I wanted to explore with my readers the emotions and ethical confusion a person might feel about lying or being lied to, while also making them laugh!"
"My favorite part of writing books is the moment when a new idea comes into my head," says Leslie. "If I give it my attention, a book will start forming in my mind. When this happens, I most certainly have a smile on my face."
Leslie Patricelli lives in the mountain town of Hailey, Idaho with her husband, Jason, her daughter Tatum, three cats and a devoted, stick-loving dog. Of the many outdoor activities she loves doing in the mountains, skiing untracked powder and mountain biking during wildflower season are at the top of the list. Her son, Beck, is living and playing music in Brooklyn, NY, and her daughter, Tia, is majoring in environmental studies at University of Washington. Her husband is a drummer, music engineer, ski instructor, and her on-request editor.
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Books By Leslie Patricelli
You Save: ₹ 122.77(28%)
A new toddler title charts a crucial achievement. (Ages 1-3)
There comes a point in a toddler’s life when going in one’s diaper is only one possible option, and the question must be raised: Should I go in my potty? With pitch-perfect humor and pacing, Leslie Patricelli follows the inner dialogue (sure to have little ones shouting responses) and hilarious actions of everyone’s favorite Baby, winding up with an over-the-top look of surprise and delight that will have both parents and offspring laughing out loud. "I did it!"
You Save: ₹ 93.02(21%)
YES! This must-have toddler title sheds light on some concepts with a comical flair.
Yanking cat by tail: no NO. Gentle pat on back: yes YES. And it’s funny how dumping a bowl of food gets a very different reaction from mastering the use of a spoon. An expressive baby demonstrates familiar behaviors — and their predictable responses — in an amusing book that merits a giant YES!
Snow, snow, snow—let's go! Baby and friend spend a winter's day outdoors, and it's a wonderland indeed!
Bundle up in snowsuits and boots, and out we go . . . Whump! Right into the fluffy, soft snow. We don’t care! There’s a hill to climb up and sled down, a snowperson to build, and skis to try out. Swish! Then—brrr—inside, please! What better way to warm up than a bubbly tub and a snuggle on the couch to watch the storm? Everyone’s favorite baby joins an adorable pal to revel in a seasonal adventure that will have little listeners eager to explore their own white, wintry world.
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Yippee! Towel, hat, sunglasses, sand toys . . . everyone’s favorite baby is off and running for a day at the beach—with a new friend.
Pack a beach bag and join Baby for that quintessential summer activity: a day at the seashore. With a new buddy in tow to join in the fun, it’s time to put on sunscreen (rubby, rubby), set up the umbrella (ouch, this sand is hot!), splash in the waves (run away from the big ones!), and build a sandcastle (extra hands help!). And don’t forget ice cream! Thankfully, there’s a shower for rinsing off that sandy, sticky stuff. There’s so much to do and see that it might be a challenge to get these babies back home! Little ones off on a summer vacation will soak up this fun adventure, and fans of the beloved Baby will be tickled to meet an adorable new character.
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When a little lie turns into a more serious one, will Lily and Darby’s friendship survive—or is it the end of the Rizzlerunk Club?
Lily Lattuga finally feels settled after moving to a new town and starting the fourth grade at a new school. She gets to live right across the lake from her best friend, Darby, who loves frogs and drawing just as much as Lily does. They even have their own club: the Rizzlerunks. But then things start going wrong: the new boy in class is a liar and a bully, and Darby begins acting strangely—she even breaks the Rizzlerunk pledge of honesty and gets Lily into trouble! And when something bad happens to one of the classroom rats on Lily’s watch, Lily finds herself caught in a lie with no clear way out. She realizes a little lie can snowball into a huge one that sucks in every good feeling and hurts others terribly. What’s a Rizzlerunk to do? Humorous, heartfelt, and full of illustrations that bring Lily’s charmingly candid voice to life, this second book in the Rizzlerunk Club series will resonate with anybody who has ever found it hard to do the right thing.
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From everyone’s favorite one-haired baby comes a fond and funny ode in Spanish to a special papi, for Father’s Day or any day.
¡Papi hace cosquillas! ¡Papi canta! ¡Papi acurruca! Bebe comparte un poema cariñoso y divertido dedicado a un papá muy especial.
Uppy, Daddy! Up so high.
On the shoulders. Touch the sky.
Baby’s papi is big and strong, and his legs are so, so long. He plays horsey, he sings, he cooks, he cleans—this daddy can do anything! In a sweet, simple board book threaded with signature humor, Leslie Patricelli pays tribute to the bond between a little one and a doting papi.
You Save: ₹ 359.99(46%)
Every day is Mother’s Day as the inimitable Baby sings Mommy’s praises in a board book full of humor and heart.
Now we dance. Wiggle, wiggle.
I can make my mommy giggle!
Mommy gives hugs and kisses and says Baby’s belly is delicious. She makes spaghetti that’s yummy and cleans Baby’s face and tummy. Then it’s off to the park to play hide-and-seek . . . where’s Mommy? Simple (and silly) pleasures abound in this Baby’s-eye celebration of a beloved mommy.
You Save: ₹ 362.96(47%)
From everyone’s favorite one-haired baby comes a fond and funny ode to a special daddy, for Father’s Day or any day.
Uppy, Daddy! Up so high.
On the shoulders. Touch the sky.
Baby’s daddy is big and strong, and his legs are so, so long. He plays horsey, he sings, he cooks, he cleans—this daddy can do anything! In a sweet, simple board book threaded with signature humor, Leslie Patricelli pays tribute to the bond between a little one and a doting daddy.
You Save: ₹ 94.22(12%)
Every day is Mother’s Day as the inimitable Baby sings Mami’s praises in a Spanish language board book full of humor and heart.
¡Mami abraza! ¡Mami besa! ¡Mami se ríe! Bebé celebra a una mami muy especial con humor y cariño.
Now we dance. Wiggle, wiggle.
I can make my mommy giggle!
Mami gives hugs and kisses and says Baby’s belly is delicious. She makes spaghetti that’s yummy and cleans Baby’s face and tummy. Then it’s off to the park to play hide-and-seek . . . where’s Mami? Simple (and silly) pleasures abound in this Baby’s-eye celebration of a beloved mami.
You Save: ₹ 156.87(20%)
Flipping from sad to mad can make for a bad day, but Baby is learning some tricks for getting the happy back.
Sometimes Baby is sad. And sometimes mad, mad, MAD! Baby screams and falls to the floor, and a spectacular tantrum follows, from furious crying to the final flop. What happens when Baby wants to stop, but even hugging a beloved blankie doesn’t dissolve the cranky? Maybe a walkabout is in order, with some mindful breathing to boot? Master of toddler expression Leslie Patricelli turns the focus to feelings in a relatable episode offering some tips for helping the mad go away.
You Save: ₹ 73.55(11%)
Shadows, strangers, thunder and lightning! Sometimes a toy doggie gets scared. Don’t worry, Doggie, Baby is here.
Baby’s toy doggie is scared of many things: shadows, swimming pools, strangers, loud noises. Boom! Good thing Baby is there to help, with a trusty blankie (which sometimes works). Baby also comforts Doggie at daycare and at the playground when Mommy steps out of their sight. But when Doggie himself goes missing, could that be too scary even for brave Baby? Leslie Patricelli gives a fearless new spin to a universal toddler experience—and offers a few suggestions for things that can help the scary go away.
You Save: ₹ 447.84(57%)
Who wouldn’t want a big bed all their own?
Goodbye, crib. Hello, bed! Baby is happy to move on to the next phase of sleep furniture. There’s so much to do on a big, soft bed — lie on it, play on it, bounce on it! At bedtime, Daddy tucks Baby in, Mommy says good night, and there’s so much space, and the bed feels so . . . different. What now? Trepidation gives way to a good night’s sleep in a celebration of a familiar toddler ritual.
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