This book is the winner of numerous awards. It was recognised in the Folktales category by the Booksellers' Choice Award. It was recognised in the Grades K-3 category by the Young Hoosier Book Award. It also was recognised in the Picture Book category by the Georgia Children's Book Award.

There are 32 pages in this book. This is a picture book. A picture book uses pictures and text to tell the story. The number of words varies from zero ('wordless') to around 1k over 32 pages. Picture books are typically aimed at young readers (age 3-6) but can also be aimed at older children (7+). This book was published 1998 by HarperCollins Publishers Inc .

Jim LaMarche has been mixing magic with the everyday since 1992, when his illustrations for Laura Krauss Melmed's The Rainbabies earned him international acclaim, winning the Prix de Bologna in 1993. He is the father of three boys and lives with his wife in Central California. Laura Krauss Melmed is the beloved author of more than a dozen books. She lives with her husband in Washington, D. C. Elisabeth Schlossberg is the illustrator of several books. She lives in Paris, France, with her three children.