If theres one thing Piper Paw hates, its being kissed by his doting mother, Mrs.?Velvet Paw. And one day she does the unforgivable: she kisses Piper in front of his friends! Kisses, kisses all the time, howls Piper. I dont like it. I dont want it. Good-morning kisses, licky kisses, soggy kisses! What can Mrs Paw do? She answers her son with a surprise of her own - and its not a kiss.

Tomi Ungerer, born in Strasbourg in 1931, landed in New York in 1956 with $60 in his pocket and with a suitcase full of drawings. Overnight he became a star as a caricaturist, illustrator and childrens book author and published more than 80 books in ten years. As a graphic artist he created advertising campaigns for Willy Brandt and The New York Times. In 1998, Tomi Ungerer was awarded the Hans Christian Andersen Award for illustration and has become an internationally renowned artist. He now divides his time between Strasbourg and Ireland.