A new work from Yoshitake Shinsuke, one of the most beloved picture book creators in the world! Yoshitake Shinsuke's debut picture book became an instant bestseller in 2013, sparking huge popularity not only in Japan but also in Korea, China, and beyond. He won Japan's prestigious MOE Picture Book Award an incredible three times—in 2013, 2015, and 2017—and in 2017 he received the Bologna Ragazzi Award for "I Wish I Hadn't Taken My Clothes Off," cementing his status as a truly world-class picture book author beloved far beyond Asia. Now, the author who may well be the most cherished picture book creator among readers worldwide returns with an even more adorable, touch-and-play picture book: "Squish and Stretch." "Squish and Stretch" tells the story of a child joyfully stretching and squishing a lump of dough. A little boy in a white chef's hat rolls up his sleeves and works the white dough with all his might—is he really trying to make bread? But readers who've come to expect the wonderfully unexpected wit and joyful humor found throughout Yoshitake's work will turn the page with anticipation. And once again, he doesn't disappoint. Rather than a story about diligently kneading dough to bake bread, this book is bursting with playful imagination centered entirely on the dough itself. The boy stretches it, kneads it, dances gently along with it, twists it around his whole body like a pretzel, and even bounces on top of it like a trampoline. Before long, he becomes friends with the dough—giving it a kiss, and finally tickling it until it bursts into giggles. Watching this unfold, readers can't help but smile at Yoshitake's signature wit and charming illustrations. Published as the follow-up to "I Wish I Hadn't Taken My Clothes Off"—often called "the book kids love most among all of the author's works"—"Squish and Stretch" is sure to bring readers the same lovable, delightful fun. Squishing and stretching—an adorable, wonderfully imaginative touch-and-play picture book! Sensory play, where children explore textures with their hands, is incredibly important for developing fine motor skills, creativity, and brain development. This book shows how a simple lump of dough can become a source of imaginative, sensory-rich play for children. If a child tried this kind of play with real flour dough, most parents would likely step in with a gentle, "Don't play with your food." But these days, there are plenty of dough-like materials—besides flour—that offer the same wonderful texture, letting kids squish, stretch, and move however their imagination takes them. Through hands-on play, children may even dream up ideas even more wonderfully inventive than the boy in this book. Though kneading dough is a simple motion, the book brings it to life through a rich variety of onomatopoeia and mimetic words, creating a rhythm and playfulness with language that feels almost like reading a poem. Words like 'squish-squish,' 'stretch-stretch,' 'sway-sway,' 'wiggle-wiggle,' 'tickle-tickle,' 'twirl-twirl,' 'pat-pat,' and 'roll-roll' are delightful all on their own. Just as the soft dough puffs up round and sways as if dancing, the words on the page seem to dance and sing along with the illustrations, offering readers the full joy of both image and language.