Bill Cotter

The only rule in Larry's book is that the reader not push the button, but when no one is looking, it may be irresistible.

After enduring 10 harrowing years of the Great Depression, visitors to the 1939–1940 New York World's Fair found welcome relief in the fair's optimistic presentation of the "World of Tomorrow." Pavilions from America's largest corporations and dozens of countries were spread across a 1,216-acre site, showcasing the latest industrial marvels and predictions for the future intermingled with cultural displays from around the world. Well known for its...

The 1964-1965 New York World's Fair was the largest international exhibition ever built in the United States. More than one hundred fifty pavilions and exhibits spread over six hundred forty-six acres helped the fair live up to its reputation as "the Billion-Dollar Fair." With the cold war in full swing, the fair offered visitors a refreshingly positive view of the future, mirroring the official theme: Peace through Understanding. Guests could travel...

The Golden Gate International Exposition (GGIE) was a massive undertaking. The city of San Francisco had long looked for a site for a new airport to service the Pacific market, and the fair provided the impetus to build Treasure Island, a man-made island that would eventually service the massive seaplanes in use at the time. The GGIE also helped cement the Bay Area as a tourism and business center, competing directly with the 1939-1940 New York World's...

In 1984, the city of New Orleans hosted the last world's fair held in the United States. Conceived as part of an ambitious effort to revitalize a dilapidated section of the city and establish New Orleans as a year-round tourist destination, it took more than 12 years of political intrigue and design changes before the gates finally opened. Stretching 84 acres along the Mississippi River, the fair entertained more than seven million guests with a colorful...

Justine Moppett is 34, pregnant, and fleeing an abusive relationship in New York to dig up an even more traumatic childhood in Austin. Waiting for her there is a cast of more than a dozen misfits - a hemophobic aspiring serial killer, a deranged soprano opera singer, a debt-addicted entrepreneur-cum-madam, a matchmaking hermaphrodite - each hurtling toward their own calamities, and, ultimately, toward each other. A Texan Gabriel García Márquez who...

From the amazing mind of author and illustrator Bill Cotter comes one of this year's best Christmas books for children! Larry the lovable monster from Don't Push the Button! is back for the holidays with another hilarious, interactive adventure in this toddler Christmas book! It's almost Christmas and Santa is coming! You don't want to end up on the naughty list, do you? With no elves in sight, Larry thinks he can get away with some last-minute...

In 1967, Canada celebrated the 100th anniversary of its founding with a spectacular party, and the whole world was invited. Montreal's Expo 67 was the first world's fair held in Canada, and it was a huge success, attracting over 50 million visitors. The 1,000-acre site was built on two man-made islands in the St. Lawrence River and incorporated 90 futuristic pavilions created by some of the world's greatest architects and designers. Over 60 countries...

In the late 1960s, Spokane's civic leaders were desperately looking for a way to revitalize a large section of downtown, especially a motley collection of little-used railroad lines and polluted industrial sites along the Spokane River. Their solution was to use the area for Expo '74, which was billed as the first ecologically themed world's fair. Critics predicted the project was sure to fail, as Spokane was the smallest city to ever host a world's...

While the elves are looking the other way, the reader is encouraged to push the button, shake the book, and more despite the risk of getting on Santa's naughty list.