The Eyes and the Impossible

A New York Times bestseller and Today Show Summer Pick

A wild, lyrical, hilarious and beautiful story of a wild dog living and surviving in an urban park

Johannes, a free dog, lives in a park hemmed in on three sides by dense human neighborhoods, and on one side by the ocean. His job is to be the Eyes — to see everything that happens within the park and report to the park's elders, three ancient bison who ensure the Equilibrium. His friends — a stalwart seagull, a mordant raccoon, a one-eyed squirrel, and a pelican who can read — work with him as the Assistant Eyes, observing the humans and other animals who share the park and making sure everything is in balance. But changes are afoot. More humans, including Trouble Travelers, arrive in the park. A new building, containing mysterious and hypnotic rectangles, goes up. And then there are the goats — an actual boatload of goats — who appear, along with a shocking revelation that changes Johannes' view of the world. Readers will thrill to Johannes's inimitable and wonderful voice, and will gorge on this unforgettable story of friendship, beauty, liberation, and running very, very fast.

"[An] exuberant illustrated novel. Eggers crafts a marvelous, fully fleshed protagonist in Johannes…whose compassionate narration delivers a rousing tale of community, joyful self-reliance, and the pleasures of running very, very fast." Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)

"Utterly delightful....A merry reminder to face the truth about the world and ourselves with compassion, curiosity, and joy." Booklist (Starred Review)

"Exuberant." Kirkus (Starred Review)

"The Eyes and the Impossible is hilarious, bighearted, and beautifully written. If you want to know what I think, this book right here is a significant contribution to children's literature." New York Times-bestselling author Mac Barnett, three-time winner of the E.B. White Read Aloud Award

"An exhilarating, funny, frightening, mind-warping, heart-squeezing tale. Told at the speed of light. A must read. For all humans." Jon Scieszka, New York Times-bestselling author and First Inaugural National Ambassador for Young People's Literature

"So clever and engrossing and sweet. I loved it." Roddy Doyle, Man Booker Prize and Irish PEN Award winner

"The Eyes and the Impossible is Exhibit A in the argument for children's books being great literature. What a hero! What a story! What a read! Honestly, it's one of the best novels I've read in years. Honestly, I wish I'd written it." Annie Barrows, New York Times-bestselling author of the Ivy + Bean series

"The Eyes and the Impossible is a total delight: a heroic dog's account of a thrilling adventure, during which a community determines, separately and together, how to live. I loved it." E.B. White Award winner Maile Meloy, New York Times-bestselling author of Liars and Saints

Dave Eggers is the author of many books, including The Eyes and the Impossible, The Every, The Circle, The Monk of Mokha, and the National Book Award finalist A Hologram for the King, as well as numerous books for young readers, including Her Right Foot, Faraway Things, and The Lifters. He is the founder of the independent publishing company McSweeney's and the college-access nonprofit ScholarMatch, and the co-founder of 826 Valencia, a youth writing center that has inspired dozens of other centers worldwide. He is the winner of the Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Award for Education and the Dayton Literary Peace Prize.

Shawn Harris is the author/illustrator of Have You Ever Seen a Flower? , which won a Caldecott Honor Award. He is the illustrator of Her Right Foot by Dave Eggers, which received seven starred reviews, was an Orbis Pictus Award Honor Book, an ALA Notable, and a PW Best Book of the Year. His other picture books include Eggers's What Can a Citizen Do (a Time Magazine Best Children's Book), Everyone's Awake by Colin Meloy, and A Polar Bear in the Snow by Mac Barnett.

Shawn got his start as an illustrator in the early 2000s, creating album art for bands, including his own, the Matches. He lives in Northern California and enjoys surfing.