Mercer Mayer 4682507 225976358 2008-07-16T08:13:44Z 75.162.198.43 {{Infobox Writer <!-- for more information see [[:Template:Infobox Writer/doc]] --> | name = Mercer Mayer | image = Replace this image male.svg | imagesize = 200px | caption = | pseudonym = | birthdate = {{Birth date and age|1943|12|10|mf=y}} | birthplace = [[Little Rock, Arkansas|Little Rock]], [[Arkansas]] | deathdate = | deathplace = | occupation = artist, illustrator, writer | nationality = American | period = 1967 - today | genre = [[Children's literature]] | subject = | movement = | influences = | influenced = | signature = | website = }} '''Mercer Mayer''' (born [[December 10]], [[1943]] in [[Little Rock, Arkansas]]) is an [[United States|American]] children's book writer and illustrator. He has published over 300 books using a wide range of illustrative styles (see his [[Bibliography of Mercer Mayer|bibliography]] for a list). Mayer is probably best known for his "[[Little Critter]]" and "[[Little Monster]]" series of books. Mayer's father was in the [[United States Navy]], so the family moved many times during his childhood before settling in [[Honolulu, Hawaii]]. There, Mayer graduated from high school in 1961. While attending school at the [[Honolulu Academy of Arts]], Mayer's decided to enter the field of children's book illustration. To that end, he created a portfolio of sketches and peddled them wherever he could. Though his professors feared the young artist would never be good enough to make a living as an illustrator, Mayer was not dissuaded. Mayer moved from Hawaii to [[New York City]] in 1964, pursuing further instruction at the [[Art Students League of New York]], where he met an artist named Marianna who became his first wife. He also met an art director who told Mayer that his portfolio was so bad that he needed to throw it away. Though offended, Mayer did. During his spare time from his job at an advertising agency, the artist created a completely new portfolio. These new sketches persuaded editors at [[Dial Press#Dial Press|Dial Press]] and [[Harper & Row]] to give him some illustration work. Mayer published his first book, ''A Boy, a Dog, and a Frog'', at Dial Press in 1967. It was notable for being a completely wordless picture book—one that tells its story entirely through the use of pictures. Mayer was one of the first illustrators to be credited for using this format. Five more books in this series were to follow. The book ''There's a Nightmare in My Closet'' drew on Mayer's childhood fears of monsters in his room at night. Critics compared the book, unfavorably, to [[Maurice Sendak]]'s ''[[Where the Wild Things Are]]'', but children and their parents loved the story and it became very popular. Mayer joined Golden Publishing, creators of [[Little Golden Books]], in 1976. Through them he has sold his "Little Critter" and "Little Monster" series, which are popular with beginning readers. In 1978, Mayer divorced Marianna. The following year, he married his second wife, Jo. The couple have two children, a son named Len and a daughter named Jessie. Mayer currently lives in [[Roxbury, Connecticut]] with his third wife, Gina. In addition to writing and illustrating his own books, Mayer has collaborated on many projects with other children's authors. He has illustrated books for [[John Bellairs]], [[Jane Yolen]], [[Jan Wahl]], [[Jay Williams (author)|Jay Williams]], [[John D. Fitzgerald]], among others. ==Bibliography of Mercer Mayer== For an extensive list of Mercer Mayer's work go to the [[Bibliography of Mercer Mayer]] Wikipedia page. ==Well known series by Mercer Mayer== *''[[Little Critter]]'' *''[[Little Monster]]'' *''[[Bibliography of Mercer Mayer#Boy.2C Dog.2C Frog series|A Boy, a Dog, and a Frog]]'' *''[[Bibliography of Mercer Mayer#Tink Tonk series|Tink! Tonk!]]'' ==External links== *[http://www.littlecritter.com/ Little Critter], Mercer Mayer's official website *{{worldcat id|id=lccn-n79-133145}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Mayer, Mercer}} [[Category:1943 births]] [[Category:American children's writers]] [[Category:American illustrators]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:People from Arkansas]] [[pt:Mercer Mayer]]