What a memorable search it is, with a nice payoff at the end when we discover what Tim is getting for his birthday. His present can be found by following a series of clues that take him out into the deep, dark night, through a bat-filled cave, down an underground walkway, and finally to the location of his birthday gift. The night before Tim's birthday, he finds a note and coded instructions waiting on his bed.

Pages of drastically differing shape and size harmoniously layer one atop the next as the story progresses toward its final reveal. The esteemed author-illustrator of The Very Hungry Caterpillar, The Grouchy Ladybug, and Hello, Red Fox has created another picture book of operatic proportions in The Secret Birthday Message, an innovative piece comparable to the offerings of Simms Taback and Laura Vaccaro Seeger. One could reasonably say Eric Carle's work is the professional opera of the children's book world: stories that usually don't proceed in linear fashion, but with stunning visuals and lavish production values. ‘A Very-First-Step-To-Learning Book’ dealing with directional concepts.’ -CE. Youngsters can read the note with him, then follow him up, down, and through the various-shaped, brightly colored pages to find the puppy at the end. ‘On the night before Tim’s birthday, he finds a rebus note, a secret message directing him to his gift. Publisher's Weekly ‘On the night before Tim’s birthday, he finds a rebus note, a secret message directing him to his gift. And at the end of the treasure hunt is a wonderful birthday surprise! 'Full-color pages, designed with cutout shapes, allow preschool children to fully participate in this enticing adventure.' Instead of a package, Tim gets a mysterious letter - written in code! It 'When the moon comes up, look for the biggest star.' Tim - and the reader - are off, following the clues.

The secret birthday message