Peter Sís Books

A biography of French writer and aviator Antoine de Saint-Exupéry.

In 1938, twenty-nine-year-old Nicholas Winton saved the lives of almost 700 children trapped in Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia—a story he never told and that remained unknown until an unforgettable TV appearance in the 1980s reunited him with some of the children he saved.Czech-American artist, MacArthur Fellow, and Andersen Award winner Peter Sís dramatizes Winton’s story in this picture book. He intertwines Nicky’s efforts with the story of one of the children he saved—a young girl named Vera, whose family enlisted Nicky’s aid when the Germans occupied their country. As the war passes and Vera grows up, she must find balance in her dual identities—one her birthright, the other her choice.

Celebrated children's book author and illustrator Peter Sis creates his first book for adults, a beautiful and uplifting adaptation of the classic twelfth- century Sufi epic poem, The Conference of the Birds. In The Conference of the Birds Caldecott Honor-winning children's book author and illustrator Peter Sis breathes new life into this foundational Sufi poem, revealing its profound lessons.Sis's deeply felt adaptation tells the story of an epic flight of birds in search of the true king, Simorgh. Drawn from all species, the band of birds is led by the hoopoe. He promises that the voyage to the mountain of Kaf, where Simorgh lives, will be perilous and many birds resist, afraid of what they might encounter. Others perish during the passage through the seven valleys: quest, love, understanding, friendship, unity, amazement, and death.Those that continue reach the mountain to learn that Simorgh the king is, in fact, each of them and all of them. In this lyrical and richly illustrated story of love, faith, and the meaning of it all, Peter Sis shows the pain, and beauty, of the human journey.

Led by a cat on a magical journey through the deserted streets of Prague, a man comes upon some of the city's landmarks and finds the keys to his childhood home in three traditional Czech tales.

Raised in a pool at Ocean World, a whale is released into the ocean to find others of her kind, but a spouting fire boat leads her to make the first of many mistakes.

One of the most brilliant illustrators of our time takes us on a magical journey into his father's past in the once hidden kingdom of Tibet.

In this brilliant presentation of a revolutionary thinker's life, the picture book becomes an art form As far as I can judge, I am not apt to follow blindly the lead of other men . . . Charles Darwin was, above all else, an independent thinker who continues even now to influence the way we look at the natural world. His endless curiosity and passion for detail resulted in a wealth of notebooks, diaries, correspondence, and published writings that Peter Sís transforms into a visual treasure trove. A multilayered journey through Darwin's world, The Tree of Life begins with his childhood and traces the arc of his life through university and career, following him around the globe on the voyage of the Beagle, and home to a quiet but momentous life devoted to science and family. Sís uses his own singular vision to create a gloriously detailed panorama of a genius's trajectory through investigating and understanding the mysteries of nature. In pictures executed in fine pen and ink and lush watercolors – cameo portraits, illustrated pages of diary, cutaway views of the Beagle, as well as charts, maps, and a gatefold spread – Peter Sís has shaped a wondrous introduction to Charles Darwin. This title has Common Core connections. The Tree of Life is a 2003 New York Times Book Review Best Illustrated Book of the Year and Notable Children's Book of the Year, and a 2004 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year.

“In my view, life without dance would be quite unthinkable. In this book, Peter Sís confirms" -- Mikhail

"I was born at the beginning of it all, on the Red side--the Communist side--of the Iron Curtain." Through annotated illustrations, journals, maps, and dreamscapes, Peter Sis shows what life was like for a child who loved to draw, proudly wore the red scarf of a Young Pioneer, stood guard at the giant statue of Stalin, and believed whatever he was…

If you love fire trucks more than anything, this book is for you.