My Cat is a Secret Agent
by Daniel J. Mahoney
Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2025
“With his droll drawings, Daniel J. Mahoney takes secret agenthood into whole
new realms. I love the surrealistic ending.” —Caldecott Medal winner Paul O. Zelinsky
“This silly tale, with characters drawn in a style reminiscent of James Marshall’s bulbous
creatures with simplified faces, is a joy to read out loud. With a plethora of amusing
background details, this will be fun for all young cat lovers who are positive their feline
friends live double lives.” — Booklist
“Children will love the humor . . . This silly and funny pet story is sure to find an
audience.” ―School Library Journal
“Mahoney incorporates Rotten Ralph-like visual loopiness from the very first spread
of this offbeat picture book . . . Mahoney balances absurdity with heart: from deadpan
narration to thin-lined, retro-inflected illustrations, every element serves the delightfully
skewed logic of the family’s world.” ―Publisher Weekly
“Character designs reminiscent of Dav Pilkey’s Captain Underpants, albeit with gentler,
watercolor washes and thinner linework, might add appeal to cat-loving readers confident
enough to strike out on their own.” — The Bulletin BCCB
“This secret agent is ready to prevent a cat-astrophe. Blonde-haired, pale skinned young
Samantha knows that Walter, the family’s cat, is no ordinary feline; his code name is “Agent
Kitty Pants,” and he regularly embarks on very important, top-secret missions. Readers may
be a bit unconvinced themselves, though scenes of Walter holding out his diploma from the
Secret Agent Academy for Gifted Felines or sneaking about the house do provide some
evidence—and make for delightful imagery. Reminiscent of James Marshall’s work, Mahoney’s
inviting, informal art is always brimming with caricaturish charm. Walter’s more miraculous adventures
are given nearly as much space as his more outrageous ones. Is he truly a secret agent?
Unclear, but Mahoney clearly understands that all felines contains multitudes. Chaotic and
offbeat feline fun—cats and cat lovers are sure to approve.”—Kirkus
We Don’t Eat our Neighbors
by Daniel J. Mahoney
Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2024
A Target Book Club Pick
“A fun and surprising classic picture book appeal threaded with a subversive and
sometimes macabre laugh-out loud text. It’s James Marshall meets Edward Gorey!”— Matthew Cordell, Caldecott Medalist
“In guileless line drawings that recall James Marshall’s style, Mahoney follows swamp-based sibs
Libby and Herbert as they move to a conventional human suburb. In this work of anarchic comedy
that moves to a story of empathy, Herbert realizes that following his animalian nature will impact
someone he cares about, prompting a transformation that relies, in part, on that loved one’s meeting
him halfway. Human characters are portrayed with various skin tones.”—Publishers Weekly“When at first is an amusing fish-out-of-water story with plenty of laughs turns out to be a story full of
relevent life lessons and adapting to new environments, struggling to fit in, and learning self-control.
With eye-catching cartoon-like illustrations, and just a few sentences on each page, this book is a
winning read-aloud sure to keep readers entertained. A funny tail about an alligator boy learning not
to eat his neighbors: perfect for the picture book shelves or even the etiquette section.”—School Library
Journal
”This silly picture book has a delightfully dark sense of humor that fully leans into it’s nonsense, sure
to make for a lively and laughter-filled story hour. Rendered in ink and watercolor, the simple, steady
art depicts Herbert’s bipedal family doing very human things like icing cake and vacuuming, while
text brings more complexity, using full sentences with dialogue that offer an appropriate challenge
for older viewers who try it on their own. We may never get answers to why an alligator family would
need to integrate with human society or if using a tail to hit a soccer ball is a legal move, but at least
Herbert’s classmates are safe.”—The Bulletin BCCB
”A young alligator must control his urge to eat people. Gator siblings Herbert and Libby move from
the swamp to a suburban neighborhood when their mom gets her dream job as a pastry chef. They
start wearing clothes, going to school, and even playing soccer. But Herbert has a big problem: He
loves chowing down on people, and his classmates are so darn tasty…the title of this story may bring
to mind Ryan T. Higgins’ We Don’t Eat Our Classmates (2018), which stars a lovable and equally
destructive dinosaur who’s also wrestling with temptations…while readers may chuckle…the cartoon art
does have an appealing, nostalgic, James Marshall feel. Human characters are diverse.”—Kirkusout of print
Monstergarten
by Daniel J. Mahoney, Illustrated by Jef Kaminsky
Feiwel & Friends, 2013
a Scholastic Book Club selection
A diminutive fuchsia monster named Patrick has been told that being scary is a prerequisite for attending
Monstergarten. Luckily his gap-toothed blue friend, Kevin, offers to teach him how. On a funny wordless
spread, Kaminsky shows the monsters making their scariest faces, hanging upside down and stretching out
their tongues (meanwhile, a cute white cat easily out-scares the pair.) Though Kaminsky’s day-glow characters
look like the adorable result of a chemical spill, readers will recognize that Patrick’s mother’s advice (“Just be yourself”)
is just as applicable to human classrooms as it is to monster ones.”—Publishers Weekly
“Sensitive monster Patrick worries that he won’t be scary enough for Monstergarten; future classmate Kevin,
an “expert”, tutors him in the art of spooking. When Kevin has separation anxiety on the first day of school,
Patrick puts what he’s learned to excellent use. This fresh take on a familiar situation features dynamic, cartoony
digital art that couldn’t scare a fly.”—School Library Journal
“Typical kindergarten concerns: Will I like the other kids? Will they like me?…Kaminsky’s cutely primitive illustrations have every ounce of the bright zip digital tools can bring…Mahoney doesn’t let it end monstrously, of course, as it’s Patrick who must be scary on the first day of monstergarten in order to put Kevin as ease. Just about the happiest darn book about being scared you’re likely to find.”—Booklist
The Saturday Escape
by Daniel J. Mahoney
Clarion Books, 2002
an ALA Booklinks Lasting Connections, 2002
a Bank Street Books book of the year selection, 2002
“All play and no work gets Jack the bear, Angie the rabbit, and Melden the mouse in some potentially
hot water until they realize the folly of their ways. Story hour at the library looms, but Jack’s room is a
fright. “No story hour for you until you pick up your room,” says mom. Jack shoves the whole catastrophe
under his bedcovers. He goes to gather Angie-a rather tubular bunny: indeed, all the creatures have a
disarmingly tubular shape that instantly endears them to the reader…responsibility doesn’t seem so onerous
when it is shared among pals, especially pals of such cartoony good cheer who listen —albeit belatedly—
to their conscience.”—Kirkus Reviews
“Mahoney, a newcomer to picture books, is sure of hand and eye in his deft arrangement of simple, comic scenes
painted in warm watercolor. The characters, their moral dilemma and ultimate good-heartedness, are quite en-
dearing. Told in spare prose and threaded throughout with humorous detail, this unabashed tribute to libraries
and reading will be a sure choice for reading aloud at story hours and at home.”—The Horn Book Magazine
“Jack the bear and his pals are excited about storyhour at the library, but their parents expect them to do their
chores on Saturday morning. Jack is suppose to clean his room, Angie is supposed to practice piano, and
Melden is charged with painting the shutters. They all come up with slapdash solutions thta allow them to
sneak away, convinced that their deceptions are harmless. Their consciences get the better of them soon
enough, however, and all three rush to set things right. Mahoney’s illustrations have immense kid-appeal,
with likable anthropomorphic animals in a cheerful, verdant setting. Librarians will enjoy seeing storyhour
featured so prominently in a picture book.”—School Library Journal
“[Mahoney’s] tidy, cheery watercolors have an easygoing energy, and he creates wonderful moments of
visual slapstick.”—Publishers Weekly
The Perfect Clubhouse
by Daniel J. Mahoney
Clarion Books, 2004
a Bank Street Books book of the year, 2004
“It’s that ancient urge: a room of one’s own; better yet, a clubhouse of mates. But the four friends soon
learn that one dog’s dream clubhouse doesn’t jibe with that of the goat or horse or pig. After all the
camaraderie of building the house, the spirit of the place melts into air as the friends pursue their
separate interests. They soon enough discover that a clubhouse can be a home of many rooms, and
all become right in thier small world-until, of course, they start thinking about how to make it better still…
and the art is in another league altogether, with multiple panels of genial, graphic watercolors that
ought to light a spark in young readers to start building.”—Kirkus Reviews
“When four animal friends decide to build a clubhouse, they discover it isn’t easy to achieve perfection.
After trying to determine the right location, the companions discover that each one of them has a different
idea of what their new construction should be used for-conducting science experiments, creating works
of art, camping out and telling scary stories, or playing superheroes. The colorful, comfortable watercolors
artwork ids childlike in its simplicity and use of perspective. The text is notable for exploring the friends’
difficulties without using harsh language, even when the characters are most upset with one another.
Mahoney’s slice-of-life view of friendship and cooperation will strike a chord with children struggling to
navigate the sometimes tricky shoals of negotiation with their playmates.”—School Library Journal
“Julius, Floyd, Heston, and Stanley build a clubhouse together, and mighty fine it is. But the four friends
discover they have very different ideas about where it should be, or what they should do inside it.
Stanley wants to conduct science experiments, Julius wants to paint, Heston wants to camp out,
and Floyd wants to spy-proof everything and play superheroes. The four friends–a pig, a horse,
a dog, and a bull, simplified, anthropomorphized, and cartoony–glumly wonder if they will ever play
together again. But cooperation saves the day, everyone tries everything, and they even put the
clubhouse in the middle of the yard, equidistant from the garden, the pond, and the woods.
Cheery watercolors set the scene, but on the final page Stanley wonders if what they really need
is a tree house.”—Booklist
A Really Good Snowman
By Daniel J. Mahoney
Clarion Books, 2005
selected for The Society of Illustrator’s Original Art Show, 2005
“Mahoney again extols the benefits of cooperation, bringing back the animal cast from The Saturday Escape (2002)
for a snowman -building contest in the park. Jack’s pesky little sister Nancy wants to help, but since the rules say
only three per team—and Jack already has two friends—she’s on her own. When Nancy’s solo project is attacked
by bullies, though, Jack does some soul searching and leaves his buddies to lend her a paw. Nicely reflecting the
tale’s intimacy and light tone, the author creates a snowy, spacious landscape in which diverse, and often humorous
design, and their small, furry, well-bundled-up creators mingle. In the end, Nancy’s snow bear doesn’t win a prize-
but Jack discovers that he’s had such a good time helping her that it doesn’t really matter, and home they go,
hand in hand. A well-crafted, low-key tale, more warming than a cup of steaming cider.”—Kirkus Reviews
“In a simple, tender way, this book captures the frustration, love, and annoyance of being an older sibling…the acrylic
illustrations of the animal characters and humor and tenderness to the already sweet, funny story. Their faces are
particularly expressive, and the visual jokes add another dimension to the simple text. This is an enjoyable read-
aloud that also lends itself well to independent reading.”—School Library Journal
“The leisurely storytelling and witty art distinguish this offering from others of the sibling-trouble variety.”—Horn Book
I See A Monster!
by Laurie Young Illustrated by Daniel J. Mahoney
Piggy Toes Press, 2006
Ocean Wonders
by Dorothea DePrisco Wang illustrated by Daniel J. Mahoney
Tide Mill Press, 2007
The Happy Hippos
by Liza Charlesworth illustrated by Daniel J. Mahoney
Scholastic, 2005
Coco the Love Dog
by Sue Gundfest illustrated by Daniel J. Mahoney
Love Dog Press, 2007
I Can Make a Difference All Around My House
by P.A. Bonner illustrated by Daniel J. Mahoney
Piggy Toes Press, 2009
The Treasure of Spyglass Cove
An Adventure Pop-Up Playset
by J. Bilan illustrated by Daniel J. Mahoney
Piggy Toes Press, 2007