Ann Rand

Part of a series of picture books Ann and Paul Rand originally wrote for their daughter, Listen! Listen! explores the interplay of sound and colour. Paul Rand's distinctive illustrations with bold shapes and bursts of colour playfully interact with the text as children will learn to listen and repeat the noises they hear every day.

First published in 1961, this charming story follows a small boy named Edward who lives in the soaring heights of New York and yearns for a pet to keep him company. Edward lives on the twenty-first floor of a large apartment block in New York, which has a sign in the lobby that reads: 'No dogs or cats allowed'. This isn't much fun for someone like Edward, who would have loved a dog or cat to keep him company, or even more than that, a horse. But the sign doesn't say anything about horses... Edward sets out in search of a horse who likes the city and who won't cost a lot of money to keep. With the help of a friendly fireman, Edward discovers Smitty, whom he unhitches from a vegetable cart and takes home immediately. Before Edward and Smitty can get anywhere near the freight elevator, they are stopped by Smitty's owner, who kindly offers to let Edward ride with them around the city whenever he pleases.