Walter the Baker is famous for his breads, rolls, cookies, tarts, and pies. The Duke and Duchess especially love his warm sweet rolls, delivered fresh to their castle every morning. But one day the cat spills the milk, and Walter is forced to serve the Duke and Duchess rolls made with water. After one bite the Duke throws down his roll in disgust and summons Walter to the castle. He threatens to banish the baker unless he can take the same dough and make a good-tasting roll that the rising sun can shine through three times. Will Walter succeed in his task, or will he have to leave his town forever? With good humor and the vibrantly colored paper collages that are known and loved the world over, Eric Carle has concocted a delicious book that kids will savor as much as they love eating...shhh...pretzels!

Born in Syracuse, New York, in 1929, Eric Carle moved to Germany in 1935 with his parents and was educated there. He studied graphic design at the Academie der bildenden Kunste in Stuttgart. He returned to America in 1952 and worked as a graphic designer for The New York Times, and later as art director for an international advertising agency. His first two books, 1,2,3 to the Zoo and The Very Hungry Caterpillar, gained him immediate international recognition. The latter title, now considered a modern classic, has sold over twelve million copies worldwide and has been translated into more than twenty languages. He says that the inspiration for Walter the Baker came from two sources: an old story that was told to him by his grandmother, and his uncle Walter, who owned a bakery. "I remember visiting him when I was a young boy, in his bakery, with all the sweet smells described in this book."