On the opening wordless double-page spreads we see a truck leaving the loading dock of the Morning Star Gazette and traveling through residential streets to the house where the paperboy is just getting out of bed. The moon and stars shine brightly in the pitch black sky as the paperboy and his dog go through their early morning rituals of preparing for their route: moving quietly through the house, eating breakfast, and folding newspapers in the garage. The understated, poetic text brilliantly captures the rhythm of routine as Pilkey highlights small but evocative details, such as the snap of green rubber bands and the awkwardness of riding a bicycle while carrying a red cloth bag filled with newspapers. As the paperboy and his dog make their rounds through the dark, familiar streets, the early morning sky gradually lightens. It is streaked with bright orange and pink hues by the time all the newspapers are delivered, and the paperboy must pull down his window shade to shut out the light when he returns to his own warm bed. Pilkey's expressive acrylic paintings playfully use light and dark contrasts to provide a delicious sense of being awake and active in a sleeping world. His paintings carry this mood right through to the story's satisfying conclusion in which we find the paperboy asleep and dreaming in the wide-awake world. (Ages 3-7)

From #1 bestselling author-illustrator Dav Pilkey, a Caldecott Honor picture book about a boy, his dog, and the solitude they share before the world wakes up.

In the still before dawn, while the rest of the world is sleeping, a boy and his dog leave the comfort of their warm bed to deliver newspapers. As the boy pedals his bike along a route he knows by heart, his dog runs by his side, both enjoying a world that, before sunrise, belongs only to them.

Bestselling author-illustrator Dav Pilkey celebrates the beauty found in silence and the peace that comes from being with a beloved friend in this Caldecott Honor-winning picture book.

For more acclaimed picture books from Dav Pilkey, check out Dog Breath, The Hallo-Wiener, 'Twas the Night Before Thanksgiving, and Julius (written by Angela Johnson). And don't forget the worldwide bestselling Dog Man and Cat Kid Comic Club graphic novels and Captain Underpants chapter books!