“What an amazing presentation! Alastair did a great job of keeping the students and teachers engaged and involved. The students learned how you can turn your ideas into books and were excited to come back to the classroom to write even more!” — 1st Grade Teacher

Alastair Heim is the author of several children’s picture books including The Great Puppy Invasion, which won the 2019 Oklahoma Redbud Read-Aloud Award, Hello Door, which was named one of The New York Public Library’s Best Books of 2018, and Quiet Down Loud Town!, which was named a 2021 Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection. His book How The Grinch Lost Christmas! became a New York Times Bestseller. His newest books are, The Unluckiest Leprechaun (February 2026), which is a delightfully rhythmic picture book about weathering disappointment and finding what makes you unique, Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas…According to Max! (September 2026),  and How Fast Can You Read This Book? (March 2027) which is the world’s greatest reading race in an interactive picture book.

He has written three books for Dr. Seuss Beginner Books titled If I Had Your Vote, If I Ran Your School, and If I Were Saint Nick – all featuring The Cat In The Hat. Laughter is his favorite sound, purple is his favorite color, and “other people cooking for him” is his favorite food.  He lives in Kansas City with his wife and three incredible children who inspire him every single day.

Alastair 's Featured Titles

How Fast Can You Read This Book?

Little, Brown Books for Young Readers |
Children’s

Welcome to the world’s greatest reading race in this interactive picture book! Perfect for fans of The Book With No Pictures and If You Laugh, I’m Starting This Book Over.

What is the world’s greatest reading race? So glad you asked! It’s simple: Just read this book as fast as you canBut I’m warning you now that the race is full of obstacles―from tricky tongue twisters, to backwards sentences, to animal challengers who will try to get you off track. Luckily, there are also plenty of animal friends to cheer you on as you race to become the very best reader you can be. Then get ready to challenge your friends, your parents, even your teacher!

This exuberant book is an unputdownable gem that encourages young readers to love words and reading.

Hey! What are you waiting for? Ready…set…READ!

Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas…According to Max!

Random House Books for Young Readers |
Children’s

Everyone’s favorite sidekick, Max—aka the Grinch’s partner-in-crime—is BACK! And this time, he’s the hero of the story. Get Max’s point of view on what happened that fateful Christmas Eve in this heartwarming retelling of the classic How the Grinch Stole Christmas!

Those Whos down in Who-ville loved Christmas, it’s true.
And a DOG
Just north of Who-ville…
…Did TOO!

It’s time to hear HIS side of the story!

The Grinch and Max live high up on Mt. Crumpit, overlooking the town of Who-ville. Max adores Christmas. It’s his favorite day of the year! But the Grinch despises Christmas. In fact, he plans to STEAL Christmas from the Whos—with Max as his helper!

Learn how Max tries to save Christmas—and himself—from the Grinch’s awful plans, and how a shocking but wonderful surprise saves the day and grows the Grinch’s heart three sizes!

Featuring a glitter-enhanced jacket and full-color illustrations rendered in the iconic style of the original, this twist on the classic story is a splendid gift and a must-have addition to the libraries of Dr. Seuss fans of all ages!

The Unluckiest Leprechaun

Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers |
Children’s

A hapless leprechaun embarks on a quest to find his luck on the most auspicious day of the year in this delightfully rhythmic picture book about weathering disappointment and finding what makes you unique by New York Times bestselling author Alastair Heim.

Little Clover leprechaun is the only one without any luck! He’s tired of feeling left out and lonely while the other leprechauns glow with magic and good fortune. This St. Patrick’s Day, when luck is in the air, Clover sets out to find his luck. But is there a rainbow out there for the unfortunate leprechaun?

I Am the Grinch: Based on Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas (Dr. Seuss’s I Am Board Books)

Random House Books for Young Readers |
Children’s

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • Meet the Grinch, in this board book narrated by the mean green Christmas icon himself. This sturdy board book is ideal for introducing Dr. Seuss’s beloved holiday character to babies and toddlers! It’s a perfect stocking stuffer, too!

Join the Grinch in this simple, sturdy board book as he shares some of the silly things he DOESN’T like—including games, showers, flowers, and canned Who-Hash—before revealing the ONE thing he likes very much: spending time with a friend and growing his heart! Written in rhymed verse, it’s the perfect choice for babies and toddlers. Now everyone in the family can get to know (and love) the Grinch!

Look for all these board book introductions to classic Dr. Seuss characters:

-I Am the Cat in the Hat
-I Am Cindy-Lou Who
-I Am Max
-I Am the Lorax
-We Are Thing One and Thing Two

Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Lost Christmas! (Classic Seuss)

Random House Books for Young Readers |
Children’s

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The Grinch is BACK and ready to prove to the residents of Whoville that he’s changed. This heartwarming sequel is written and illustrated in the style of Dr. Seuss’s beloved holiday classic How the Grinch Stole Christmas!

The Grinch had been patiently waiting all year,
To celebrate Christmas and bring the Whos cheer,
And to show every Who he was DIFFERENT now.                         
“I’ve changed!” thought the Grinch,                                           
“And I’ll prove it! But HOW?” 

A year has passed since the Grinch stole Christmas from Who-ville. Now eager to prove to the Whos that his heart has grown to LOVE the holiday, the Grinch devises a plan to win Who-ville’s Christmas Crown by making the largest, most spectacular Christmas tree the Whos have ever seen!

But when things don’t go as planned, the Grinch’s heart turns ice cold, and he threatens to leave Whoville for good…until one small, special Who reminds him that Christmas is NOT about winning.

Grow your heart three sizes MORE with this sequel to the timeless picture book How the Grinch Stole Christmas! Featuring a foil-enhanced jacket and full-color illustrations rendered in the iconic style of the original, this new story makes a splendid gift and a must-have addition to the libraries of Grinch fans of all ages!

Big Bub, Small Tub

Simon Spotlight |
Picture Book

A monster who is too big for his bathtub tries to get clean in this adorable and hilarious Ready-to-Go! Ready-to-Read.

Big Bub the monster needs a bath, but his bathtub is too small. What will he do? He will try everything!

Perfect for kids at the beginning of their reading journeys, Big Bub, Small Tub was written for children who have learned the alphabet and are ready to start reading! And what better way to get kids excited than with a hilarious story with words they can read on their own?

Each Ready-to-Go! Ready-to-Read includes a note to parents explaining what their child can expect, a guide at the beginning for readers to become familiar with the words they will encounter in the story, and reading comprehension questions at the end. Each Ready-to-Go! story contains about 100 words and features sight words, rhyming words, and repetition to help children reinforce their new reading skills. In this book, readers will learn nineteen sight words and twelve words from five word families. So come on and get reading!

No Peeking At Presents

Clarion Books |
Picture Book

Holiday hijinks abound in this very merry Christmas story about three siblings who can’t resist sneaking a peek under the tree before it’s time, for fans of How to Catch Santa and 5 More Sleeps.

Everyone knows there’s no peeking at presents before Christmas morning. But what if there’s a very, very good reason to take a look?

It’s Christmas Eve and the three kids in this story are trying their best to go to sleep, but something keeps waking them up. And it’s not just their excitement for gifts. Or, at least, not only because they’re excited for gifts.

This irresistible Christmas story, equal parts hilarious and charming, captures all the delicious anticipation of the holiday, especially celebrating it with siblings.

Hello, Tree

little bee books |
Picture Book

A thieving, Christmas-loving fox causes holiday madness all around town…until Santa catches him!

Hello, tree.

Hello, twine.

Hello, wreath.

Hello, sign.

Roguish Fox makes Christmas mischief all over town! He takes a tree, a wreath, the carrot from a snowman’s nose, Christmas decorations, tons of toys, and tasty treats. Then he settles back at home for a cozy Christmas Eve with all the wonderful items he’s “collected.” He gets so cozy, in fact, that he falls asleep and almost forgets to prepare for Santa! But as the clock strikes midnight, Santa arrives and scolds naughty Fox, making him put back all the things he stole. On Christmas Day, Fox wakes up groggy, sad, and alone, until he hears the ding-dong of his doorbell. It’s Fox’s friends from town delivering a snowball right to his face…and also a Christmas tree! The final scene is a warm and bright Christmas party in Fox’s home with everyone from town.

If I Were Saint Nick—by the Cat in the Hat

Random House Books for Young Readers |
Picture Book

The Cat imagines how HE would fill-in for Santa Claus in this hilarious new Beginner Book—a sequel to If I Had Your Vote by the Cat in the Hat—that’s perfect for Christmas celebrations and gift giving!

After receiving a letter from Santa Claus, the Cat in the Hat contemplates how HE would run Christmas differently if put in charge of the “Whole North Pole Show.”  Among the things he’d change: dressing his “elves”—Thing One and Thing Two—in Toy Making Sweaters with real “tricks up their sleeves;” wrapping presents in singing gift wrap; using Cane Cranes to lift giant candy canes up into four-story tall stockings; and designing a new expandable Santa Suit to store all the cookies and snacks people leave him!

A perfect cheerful choice for seasonal read-alouds and holiday gift-giving, this rhymed easy-reader will delight Dr. Seuss fans and Cat fanciers young and old!

Originally created by Dr. Seuss, Beginner Books encourage children to read all by themselves, with simple words and illustrations that give clues to their meaning.

Sign Says Stop! Ready-to-Read Pre-Level 1

Simon Spotlight |
Picture Book

Mr. Frog wants to cross the street, but the crosswalk sign says “​stop.”​ See how he flips, flops, and jumps his way to the other side in this funny Pre-Level 1 Ready-to-Read!

Mr. Frog finds out that timing is everything when he keeps missing his chance to cross the street as the crosswalk sign changes from “stop” to “go.” Can he stop daydreaming about how he will jump, hop, or flip his way across the street, and how much fun he will have when he gets to the other side, before the sign says “stop” again? Sometimes the journey is just as much fun as the destination!

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FOR KIDS

When presenting to children, Alastair’s ultimate goal is to encouraging kids to do whatever they can to stay creative as they grow up. With so many pressures on kids to conform to what everyone else is doing, an individual’s creativity doesn’t always come along for the ride as children age. Alastair aims to help kids understand just how important their creativity is to the world – especially when they become adults.

“IDEAS ARE EVERYWHERE” SESSION

In this incredibly interactive, 50-minute presentation geared toward 2nd through 5th graders, Alastair talks to kids about IDEAS – what they are, where they come from, how to capture them and, ultimately, how he turns his own into picture books. Each session features a fun, imaginative storytelling activity that helps kids come up with their own ideas and a few volunteers even share them out loud.

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FOR ADULTS

“WRITING (AND READING) DYNAMIC READ-ALOUD BOOKS” SESSION

In this one-hour session, Alastair uses his personal experiences and examples from his own books to share the ingredients it takes to write stories that create a dynamic read-aloud experience for children.

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FROM WRITING STRUGGLES TO WRITING FOR DR. SEUSS

A Story of Luck, Timing, and Hard Work (In That Order)

Alastair Heim details his improbable journey of going from novice writer who struggled for many years to find a literary agent, to hitting roadblock after roadblock on his journey to getting his first book published, to becoming the writer of several new Dr. Seuss books for Random House Publishing – including the #1 New York Times Best Selling official sequel to How The Grinch Stole Christmas called How The Grinch Lost Christmas.

Read-Aloud: “Love You Too” by Alastair Heim and Alisa Coburn – A Book for Kids

2017 Reach Out And Read “For The Love Of Books” Keynote Address

Alastair Heim’s Upcoming Events

Free Coloring Pages

Honors, Awards & Recognition

USA Today Bestseller (I Am the Grinch)
USA Today Bestseller (If It Were My Birthday Party by the Cat in the Hat)
New York Times
Bestseller (How The Grinch Lost Christmas!)
Best Books of 2018 (New York Public Library)
School Library Journal Featured Author
2019 Best Children’s Books for Family Literacy
Current Author Of New Dr. Seuss Books For Random House Publishing/Dr. Seuss Enterprises

Media clips

The New York Times | Children’s Picture Books

ABC News | Dr. Seuss’ ‘How the Grinch stole Christmas!’ gets a sequel

Publishers Weekly | Hello, Door

Pennsylvania Center for the Book | The Best Children’s Books for Family Literacy

Shelf Awareness | Love You Too – Review

 

Media Kit

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