New York Times bestselling author Michael Sampson and award-winning education specialist Bonnie J. Johnson publish a detective-style picture book this week: The Pig, the Elephant and the Wise-Cracking Bird (Brown Books Kids; on sale: August 8, 2023). Timed perfectly for back-to-school season, this clever language-learning resource is a must-have for parents, teachers and classroom libraries.

“Common idioms are cleverly woven into this fun detective story … the happy ending will delight any young reader, and so will the lovely illustrations that are a feast for the eyes.” —Marvin Terban, Bestselling Author of the Scholastic Dictionary of Idioms

In The Pig, the Elephant and the Wise-Cracking Bird, young readers meet Ogden Oink, whose literal interpretation of expressions leads to all sorts of predicaments as he searches for a missing elephant. Adding to the hilarity is a bird that provides idiomatic nuggets of wisdom to help Ogden’s search. This comical exploration of language not only entertains but also encourages young minds to think critically about words and their various meanings.

Michael Sampson taught kindergarten through fourth grade before earning a Ph.D. in Literacy. He has collaborated on many bestselling and award-winning books for children with Bill Martin Jr, including Armadillo Antics, Ten Little Squirrels, and Chicka Chicka 1, 2, 3. While a professor at St. John’s University, Sampson worked as a Fulbright Scholar to Ukraine (2021–22), teaching English as a New Language strategies to elementary, middle-school and university students.

Bonnie J. Johnson earned her Ph.D. at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She teaches classes in the School of Education at St. John’s University. She was the recipient of the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Distinguished Teacher of Teachers Award and was named an Eminent Literacy Scholar by The e-Journal of Literacy and Social Responsibility. Dr. Johnson is the author, coauthor and editor of nine books, numerous book chapters and journal articles, and has coauthored more than 200 instructional texts for elementary, middle-school and adult learners.

Joshua Sampson graduated with a BFA from UT Austin and earned his MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. He has worked in film and television on critically acclaimed movies and shows such as Minari (2020) and the live-action reboot of Fairly Oddparents (2022).

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