Is a hot dog a sandwich, or not a sandwich, or . . . something in between? A playful introduction to the concept of "the middle."

Young children often think in extremes-black or white, happy or sad, mean or nice-but what about the in-between? This exploration of the in-between by beloved author Joshua David Stein delves into days that are just so-so, goodbyes that bring mixed emotions, lukewarm baths, and even a platypus, which is "in the middle of - who knows what?" With humorous and nuanced illustrations by award-winning illustrator Christopher Silas Neal, this unusual book invites young readers to find their own truths in the middle.

Joshua David Stein is a writer, editor, book critic, and food critic in New York City. He is the author of multiple adult books, including Food & Beer (Phaidon), Epicurean Journeys (Rizzoli), and To Me, He Was Just Dad (Artisan), and is the coauthor of Notes from a Young Black Chef (Knopf). He has also written several children's books, including Can I Eat That? (Phaidon), The Invisible Alphabet, Solitary Animals, The Catalogue of Hugs, and Lunch from Home (all from RISE x Penguin Workshop). He founded The Band Books, a band that performs children's books to music. A longtime media fixture, Stein has been the editor-in-chief of BlackBook magazine, the editor at Black Ink, a senior editor at Departures, the senior editor of Eater, and the editor-at-large at Out magazine and Tasting Table. He is currently a contributor at Esquire. Stein lives in Brooklyn with his two sons.

Christopher Silas Neal is an award-winning author and illustrator of picture books including the Over and Under series with author Kate Messner, which was praised for its "stunning retro-style illustrations" (New York Times) and Creep, Leap, Crunch by Jody Jensen Schaffer. Neal's author debut, titled Everyone, was praised by Publishers Weekly as "simple, honest, lyrical." His board book series (Animal Colors, Animal Shapes) received starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and Kirkus. Neal is a Mexican/European-American artist who lives with his wife and two boys in Brooklyn, NY.