This was the first of four Caldecott Honor Books by Leo Lionni. Published in 1960 and virtually out of print in hardcover for decades, Knopf acquired the hardcover rights from the original publisher just in time to showcase Lionni's 100th anniversary celebration in 2010 and the book's 50th anniversary. The bold graphics and beautiful cutout paper collages of colorful birds, foliage, and the clever green inch worm are as fresh and appealing as ever, and should appeal to a whole new audience in this accessible board book format.

LEO LIONNI, a renowned designer, illustrator and creator of children's books, was the recipient of the 1984 American Institute of Graphic Arts Gold Medal and was honored posthumously in 2007 with the Society of Illustrators' Lifetime Achievement Award. His picture books include four Caldecott Honor Books: Inch by Inch, Frederick, Swimmy, 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.