The popular hardcover Lemony Snicket books to appear for the first time in softcover with all-new artwork and bonus material.

The first two books of the best-selling children’s series A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket will be available for the first time in paperback on May 8, 2007.

With covers drawing inspiration from the pulpy penny dreadfuls of the 19th century, the paperback editions — renamed No. 1: The Bad Beginning or, Orphans! and No. 2: The Reptile Room or, Murder! — feature all-new artwork from series illustrator Brett Helquist.

Every paperback book has HarperCollins’s The Cornucopian Cavalcade, a free supplement of comics, advice, activities, and stories. It includes The Spoily Brats, a graphic novel about a pair of detective siblings by artist Michael Kupperman; a grimly hilarious advice column by Mr. Snicket himself, entitled What Shall I Do, Lemony Snicket?; and serialized stories by Mr. Snicket’s literary forbearers.

The 13-book series, which debuted in 1999, chronicles the doomed life of the three Baudelaire orphans as they are pursued by their former guardian, the ruthless Count Olaf who seeks to steal their inheritance. The first three books were combined into one film adaptation in 2004 with Jim Carrey playing the role of the evil Count.

To download free samples of the paperbacks as well as the supplement, visit the special section of the official Lemony Snicket Web site at www.lemonysnicket.com/paperback.