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Nutshell Library
Nutshell Library: Alligators all around / Chicken Soup With Rice / One was Johnny / Pierre
From Maurice Sendak, the Caldecott Medal-winning genius who created Where the Wild Things Are, comes Nutshell Library , which will enchant readers with four classic titles. Containing pocket-size versions of perennial favorites Alligators All Around , Chicken Soup with Rice , One Was Johnny , and Pierre , this pint-size library is perfect for small hands. Learn the alphabet with silly alligators, drink chicken soup with rice every month, count visitors with a boy named Johnny, and survive a scare with a boy who doesn’t care. Endless adventures await in these lyrical stories that children, and their grown-up readers, will love reading and sharing over and over again. A wonderful stocking stuffer or baby shower gift, Maurice Sendak's Nutshell Library will evoke powerful memories for many, and the rhymes and stories continue to speak to new generations of little ones. And if you prefer your Nutshell Library books on their own and not quite so tiny, each is also available in a board book edition.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published October 10, 1962
10 people are currently reading
1509 people want to read
About the author
Maurice Sendak
426 books2,306 followersMaurice Sendak was a visionary American illustrator and writer best known for transforming the landscape of children's literature through his emotionally resonant stories and distinctive artistic style. He gained international acclaim with Where the Wild Things Are, a groundbreaking picture book that captured the emotional intensity of childhood through its honest portrayal of anger, imagination, and longing. Widely recognized for his ability to blend the whimsical with the profound, Sendak created works that resonated with both children and adults, challenging conventional notions of what children's books could be.
Born and raised in Brooklyn, Sendak was a sickly child who spent much of his early life indoors, nurturing a love for books, drawing, and storytelling. The son of Polish-Jewish immigrants, he was deeply affected by the losses of the Holocaust, which shaped the darker emotional undercurrents in his work. His art was influenced by a range of sources, from comic strips and Mickey Mouse to Mozart, Blake, and German Romanticism. Though he began his career illustrating other writers’ books, he soon transitioned to authoring his own, beginning with Kenny’s Window and then The Sign on Rosie’s Door.
It was Where the Wild Things Are, published in 1963, that solidified Sendak’s reputation as a master of children’s literature. The book, which won the Caldecott Medal, was initially controversial due to its depiction of unruly behavior and ambiguous emotional tone. However, it was later recognized as a revolutionary work that respected children’s inner lives and psychological complexity. This theme continued in his later works, including In the Night Kitchen and Outside Over There, which formed a loose trilogy exploring the emotional and imaginative experiences of childhood. These books, celebrated for their dreamlike narratives and lush illustrations, often tackled fears, fantasies, and the challenges of growing up.
Throughout his career, Sendak illustrated more than a hundred books, working with authors such as Ruth Krauss and Else Holmelund Minarik. His visual style—characterized by its intricate detail, dynamic line work, and expressive characters—evolved over the decades, but always retained an unmistakable emotional intensity. He also designed sets and costumes for operas and ballets, bringing his imaginative worlds to the stage. Notably, he created productions for works by Mozart and Prokofiev, combining his love of classical music with theatrical design.
Sendak was known for his sharp wit, fierce independence, and deep empathy for children. He openly criticized the sanitized and moralistic tone of much of children's publishing, insisting instead that young readers deserved stories that acknowledged their full emotional range, including fear, grief, anger, and wonder. He was also an openly gay man in a long-term relationship, though he only spoke publicly about his sexuality later in life.
Later in his career, Sendak continued to produce new work, collaborate with artists and institutions, and advocate for intellectual freedom. His final books, including Bumble-Ardy and My Brother’s Book, reflected both a return to his childhood memories and a meditation on aging, love, and mortality. Though his stories often ventured into the dark or surreal, they remained rooted in a deep respect for the emotional reality of children and a belief in the power of imagination to confront life's challenges.
Maurice Sendak’s legacy endures in the countless writers and illustrators he inspired, the cultural impact of his stories, and the enduring affection readers of all ages hold for his wild things, mischievous children, and tender monsters. Through his work, he redefined what children’s literature could be: rich, honest, haunting, and, above all, deeply human.
Born and raised in Brooklyn, Sendak was a sickly child who spent much of his early life indoors, nurturing a love for books, drawing, and storytelling. The son of Polish-Jewish immigrants, he was deeply affected by the losses of the Holocaust, which shaped the darker emotional undercurrents in his work. His art was influenced by a range of sources, from comic strips and Mickey Mouse to Mozart, Blake, and German Romanticism. Though he began his career illustrating other writers’ books, he soon transitioned to authoring his own, beginning with Kenny’s Window and then The Sign on Rosie’s Door.
It was Where the Wild Things Are, published in 1963, that solidified Sendak’s reputation as a master of children’s literature. The book, which won the Caldecott Medal, was initially controversial due to its depiction of unruly behavior and ambiguous emotional tone. However, it was later recognized as a revolutionary work that respected children’s inner lives and psychological complexity. This theme continued in his later works, including In the Night Kitchen and Outside Over There, which formed a loose trilogy exploring the emotional and imaginative experiences of childhood. These books, celebrated for their dreamlike narratives and lush illustrations, often tackled fears, fantasies, and the challenges of growing up.
Throughout his career, Sendak illustrated more than a hundred books, working with authors such as Ruth Krauss and Else Holmelund Minarik. His visual style—characterized by its intricate detail, dynamic line work, and expressive characters—evolved over the decades, but always retained an unmistakable emotional intensity. He also designed sets and costumes for operas and ballets, bringing his imaginative worlds to the stage. Notably, he created productions for works by Mozart and Prokofiev, combining his love of classical music with theatrical design.
Sendak was known for his sharp wit, fierce independence, and deep empathy for children. He openly criticized the sanitized and moralistic tone of much of children's publishing, insisting instead that young readers deserved stories that acknowledged their full emotional range, including fear, grief, anger, and wonder. He was also an openly gay man in a long-term relationship, though he only spoke publicly about his sexuality later in life.
Later in his career, Sendak continued to produce new work, collaborate with artists and institutions, and advocate for intellectual freedom. His final books, including Bumble-Ardy and My Brother’s Book, reflected both a return to his childhood memories and a meditation on aging, love, and mortality. Though his stories often ventured into the dark or surreal, they remained rooted in a deep respect for the emotional reality of children and a belief in the power of imagination to confront life's challenges.
Maurice Sendak’s legacy endures in the countless writers and illustrators he inspired, the cultural impact of his stories, and the enduring affection readers of all ages hold for his wild things, mischievous children, and tender monsters. Through his work, he redefined what children’s literature could be: rich, honest, haunting, and, above all, deeply human.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 91 reviews
March 21, 2025
5 ⭐️
A cute addition to my library of books. 🤍
A cute addition to my library of books. 🤍
February 7, 2020
This collection contains 4 early stories of Maurice:
One was Johnny
Alligators All Around
Chicken Soup with Rice
Pierre
I found some of these stories to be charming and some of them were very dated. Maurice got a lot better with practice and time.
One was Johnny
Alligators All Around
Chicken Soup with Rice
Pierre
I found some of these stories to be charming and some of them were very dated. Maurice got a lot better with practice and time.
February 8, 2020
Read, and at one time, long ago, memorized.
May 19, 2008
Oh, how I loved this little boxed set. I reviewed the books individually at an earlier date. But it is worth noting that beyond the books themselves there was something so wonderful about owning the entire set. The child-sized box, taking the treasured books out and admiring their covers, deliberating about which volume to read first, that satisfying snap when all four books were safely back in place and ready to be toted around. Ah, life's simple pleasures!
September 9, 2016
The four books in this collection (Pierre, One was Johnny, Alligators all Around, and Chicken Soup with Rice) have really captured Paul's imagination. I hear him muttering bits of them to himself -- Chicken Soup with Rice is probably his favorite, but he can recite most of Alligators all Around. He especially likes V -- "very vain!" The only problem is the size. They're adorable, but he has reached the stage where he wants to inspect pictures very closely and the nutshellyness of this set makes that hard.
April 16, 2008
Great collection of books by the author of Where the Wild Things Are. In particular the story of Pierre causes on to think "Where could I get my hands on a lion in order to help my child have a complete attitude change?"
July 7, 2015
Perfect for the toddler in your life! Although my 9 year old and I love them too. Pierre and Chicken soup with a Rice are our favorites.
August 25, 2012
Adorable box set of tiny nutshell library by the great Sendak - had to add this to my kid lit bookshelf.
January 14, 2018
If you worked with children, you read them Sendak's books. One of my favorites is Pierre...who only would say "I don't care........." Beware anyone uttering that sentiment within my hearing!
January 4, 2020
Read these over and over with my child. She couldn’t get enough of them.
October 25, 2024
Obsessed
November 2, 2011
We based our story times this week on Sendak's "Nutshell Library" which consists of 4 hand-sized concept books.
Alligators All Around -- an A B C book featuring an alligator family bursting balloons, catching colds, doing dishes, entertaining elephants, etc. For purposes of story time the pictures were enlarged.
One Was Johnny -- a Counting book featuring Johnny who lived by himself. The story builds one character and event at a time, such as the house that Jack built. By the time there are nine villains "10 is a puzzle, what should Johnny do? At this point Johnny dismisses each unwelcome visitor by counting them backwards out of his house.
Chicken Soup With Rice -- a Calendar book featuring chicken soup with rice served up whimsically throughout each month of the year. We invited the children to join in the chant "sipping once, sipping twice, sipping chicken soup with rice" (modified to apply to the month's serving suggestion).
Pierre -- a Cautionary Tale -- featuring apathetic Pierre who can't be made to care. Careless Pierre eventually becomes lion fare until retrieved by the doctor. (One year my own children turned this into a play which they performed for the entire family).
Alligators All Around -- an A B C book featuring an alligator family bursting balloons, catching colds, doing dishes, entertaining elephants, etc. For purposes of story time the pictures were enlarged.
One Was Johnny -- a Counting book featuring Johnny who lived by himself. The story builds one character and event at a time, such as the house that Jack built. By the time there are nine villains "10 is a puzzle, what should Johnny do? At this point Johnny dismisses each unwelcome visitor by counting them backwards out of his house.
Chicken Soup With Rice -- a Calendar book featuring chicken soup with rice served up whimsically throughout each month of the year. We invited the children to join in the chant "sipping once, sipping twice, sipping chicken soup with rice" (modified to apply to the month's serving suggestion).
Pierre -- a Cautionary Tale -- featuring apathetic Pierre who can't be made to care. Careless Pierre eventually becomes lion fare until retrieved by the doctor. (One year my own children turned this into a play which they performed for the entire family).
October 16, 2015
When I brought this book at home, my all family wants to keep it. Everyone who like miniature must be fascinated by this book. The size of this book is smaller than your palm. This 4-volume boxed set contains an alphabet book, a book of rhymes about each month, a counting book, and a cautionary tale all written and illustrated by Maurice Sendak. Includes the titles Alligators All Around, Chicken Soup with Rice, One Was Johnny, and Pierre. My favorite is Pierre. It consists of five chapters and a prologue. The cover is designed like a picture frame in which there are Pierre and a lion. In a book jacket, there is a comment: a story with a moral air about Pierre, who learned to care. The illustration is simple and funny like comic books. Turquoise blue and bright yellow are the only colors used. The background is creamy white. The story is also fun. Pierre is not a obedient child like other traditional picturebook's character. Pierre maybe represents real child in real world. At the end, Pierre learned a lesson though. Even though Maurice's book seem a little bit dark, they all ends up with happy endings.
May 2, 2010
These are a favorite from my childhood. I love "Alligators all Around", "Pierre: A Cautionary Tale", and "Chicken Soup with Rice" set to music. Wonderful to be able to share these with my kids, especially when Pierre, sung by Carole King...
"[He:] rubbed his eyes, and scratched his head
And laughed because he wasn't dead.
His mother cried and held him tight.
His father asked 'Are you all right?'
Pierre said 'I am feeling fine,
Please take me home, it's half past nine,'
The lion said, 'If you would care
To ride on me, I'll take you there'
And everybody looked at Pierre,
Who shouted, 'Yes indeed, I care!'
The lion took them home to rest,
And stayed on as a weekend guest,
The moral of 'Pierre' is CARE!"
"[He:] rubbed his eyes, and scratched his head
And laughed because he wasn't dead.
His mother cried and held him tight.
His father asked 'Are you all right?'
Pierre said 'I am feeling fine,
Please take me home, it's half past nine,'
The lion said, 'If you would care
To ride on me, I'll take you there'
And everybody looked at Pierre,
Who shouted, 'Yes indeed, I care!'
The lion took them home to rest,
And stayed on as a weekend guest,
The moral of 'Pierre' is CARE!"
May 10, 2007
Also make sure to listen to the CD "Really Rosie" by Carole King.
"Pierre" is one of the best stories ever, and includes the lines (after cold and uncaring Pierre has been rescued from a lion's belly):
"He rubbed his eyes, and scratched his head
And laughed because he wasn't dead.
His mother cried and held him tight.
His father asked 'Are you all right?'
Pierre said 'I am feeling fine,
Please take me home, it's half past nine,'
The lion said, 'If you would care
To ride on me, I'll take you there'
And everybody looked at Pierre,
Who shouted, 'Yes indeed, I care!'
The lion took them home to rest,
And stayed on as a weekend guest,
The moral of 'Pierre' is CARE!"
"Pierre" is one of the best stories ever, and includes the lines (after cold and uncaring Pierre has been rescued from a lion's belly):
"He rubbed his eyes, and scratched his head
And laughed because he wasn't dead.
His mother cried and held him tight.
His father asked 'Are you all right?'
Pierre said 'I am feeling fine,
Please take me home, it's half past nine,'
The lion said, 'If you would care
To ride on me, I'll take you there'
And everybody looked at Pierre,
Who shouted, 'Yes indeed, I care!'
The lion took them home to rest,
And stayed on as a weekend guest,
The moral of 'Pierre' is CARE!"
May 3, 2008
These books are great! The rhymes are simple and catchy. There is a moral to every story, and a three year old will sit through all four. When Matthew and I read Pierre, I have Matthew read the "I Don't Care" part. Hmmm...maybe that wasn't such a good idea, Matthew went through an "I don't care" phase when his parents first started reading him the books. I guess he's over it, but he still likes to read the "I don't care" part. Sendak really caught the essence of imagination combined with simplicity.
May 23, 2008
I feel very sentimental about this set of books. It comes as a set of four tiny books in a box. I also had these books on tape growing up which made them even more enjoyable. The worst of the set is the counting book "One Was Johnny" but that may be an unfair assessment because I seem to have lost the first four pages. The best is the months of the year book "Chicken Soup with Rice" which has a positively addictive rhyme scheme. Individually I would score the books from 1 to 5 stars but I took an average for the set.
April 23, 2012
Okay, usually I don't add both a collected set of books and its components separately, because to me it's sort of "cheating." But the minute I saw this on one of the listopia lists, I had to add it, because my childhood memories of this darling little sleeve with the darling little books in it came rushing back. My experience of the Nutshell Library was a separate thing from my experience of the individual books! And, to be fair, I'm almost certain I had at least one, perhaps two, of the little books in larger format as well, and read those too....
January 10, 2015
There's nothing on earth that compares to the moments spent snuggled up with my granddaughter reading these little books. Her bright blue eyes widening when the rhyming catches her funny bone! I treasure this time ... Stolen away from our hectic, busy, rush rush lives... These are the memories that stay with us and I wouldn't miss it for the world. Sharing "Nutshell Library" is more than reading a cute book - it gives us a chance to bond with our little ones, recall our own childhood memories, and share the wondrous world of imagination.
December 19, 2018
Sendak's little box set offers a counting book, an alphabet, a book of months, and a cautionary moral tale (moral: CARE--or else a lion will come by and eat you). Sendak's style here is far more simple than it becomes in his later, more overtly allegorical and lushly embellished works, but it remains a delight. The art may be simple, but it is clever and dynamic. The texts are similarly unembellished yet clever. "Eating once, eating twice, eating chicken soup with rice" and its variations has been a catch phrase for me since childhood. Children should love this.
December 30, 2007
Where "Chicken Soup for the Soul" got started! "Pierre: A Cautionary Tale" is one of my all-time favorites. The Lion represents society, and Pierre repeats, "I don't care" over and over until the Lion (society) literally devours him. Whenever my boys say, "I don't care" in that tone of voice, I find myself quickly reminding them about what happened to Pierre. And "Chicken Soup With Rice" is always comforting. Excellent Illustrations.
February 2, 2009
These books, all tiny (about 3 inches tall), are favorites in our family. They are a perfect size to fascinate small children and the stories are hilarious. " Pierre, a cautionary tale in five chapters and a prologue" is as much fun for adults as it is for children. Told in rhyme and illustrated perfectly, it was our favorite. But "Aligators All Around, an hilarious alphabet book, and "Chicken Soup with Rice", a calendar poem, are almost as good.
May 21, 2012
I'm adding these books because they are my first recollection of reading myself. And I've got to tell you that the similarity between myself and Pierre cannot be a coincidence. I have stolen his line ever since I read the book at probably six. All my life I have given a spontaneous response of "I don't care" to a myriad of situations. Mr. Sendak's recent demise made me remember why and solidified in my mind where it comes from. Personally I think it has served me well.
August 6, 2007
I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Pierre and if this little collection. He's so freakin stubborn he gets eatin by a Lion - Ha! I hear ya Pierre, I hear ya! I also rember Carole King belting out "Really Rosey" to the film strip - The storm was scary, the voice was raspy and the words were true: Damn! That's some good shit!
February 22, 2008
Growing up, my sister had the Nutshell Library on the bookshelf that was just inside the doorway of her room. I used to sit on the floor there and read them. I was always jealous that they were hers. When she moved to the west coast after college and didn't think to pack the collection with her, I decided it was time to claim them as MINE. Best little books ever.
April 6, 2013
The 1st book I loved to almost death, well collection of books. Every Child, everywhere should own this small set of SUCH IMPORTANT, Moral Tales. Well made, Bound great, lovely Illustrations in color. If u need to buy a child a gift, and they are just reading or have been for a year, buy them this. You will both love them!! Chicken Soup With Rice, Pierre, all found within.
July 7, 2015
This has been read many many times in our house. Whenever anyone says "I don't care" they immediately get called "Pierre". Wonderful
February 1, 2018
I can't believe that I only JUST found out about this author/illustrator ... when he's been around before I was born! gosh.
What a treasure this Sendak guy.
What a treasure this Sendak guy.
April 8, 2018
There needs to be something above the fifth star for great works like this...
August 10, 2018
This gem of a miniature group is an all time favorite. Delightful all, they are wildly creative stories fun for adults and the children they love.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 91 reviews