What is black and white and read all over... and over? One response might be this study of Holstein cows, an escaped convict, train stations, a toy train and railroad passengers. What at first seems to be four separate stories ("Seeing Things," "Problem Parents," "A Waiting Game," and "Udder Chaos") emerges as a multilayered whole as characters, designs and realities merge. A blizzard of words cannot be separated from the visual images it stimulates on the page. All is not black and white nor was it ever intended to be: the full-color art has several possible meanings. A striking jacket design and the 1930s details set the mood for an extraordinary puzzle which must be read again and pored over in order to capture its subtle, brilliant humor. (Ages 4-12)

Winner of the 1991 Caldecott Medal



Four stories are told simultaneously, with each double-page spread divided into quadrants. The stories do not necessarily take place at the same moment in time, but are they really one story?