Marc Brown
Photo © 2004 Rob Muller
author spotlight
“The most interesting—and the funniest—things happen in real life.”—Marc Brown
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Marc Brown is best known as the author and illustrator who created the beloved aardvark Arthur. This popular character was born one night over twenty years ago, when Brown was telling his oldest son, Tolon, a bedtime story. Most of the stories he told were about animals, and that night the story just happened to be about an aardvark. Brown has written and illustrated more than thirty Arthur and D.W. (Arthur’s little sister) books since then. He has also illustrated twelve other books with his wife—author, illustrator, and psychologist Laurie Krasny Brown.
As a child, Marc Brown’s passion for drawing was encouraged by his grandmother Thora, who saved his artwork in the bottom drawer of her bureau. “I knew it must be special,” recalls Brown, “because she didn’t save many things.” His grandmother later provided an education fund that helped Brown pay for art school. He attended the Cleveland Institute of Art from 1964 to 1969.
Grandma Thora is just one person in Marc Brown’s life who has afforded the inspiration for one of his characters. Many other characters are based on children he knew while he was growing up and going to school in Mill Creek, Pennsylvania. His sisters—Bonnie, Colleen, and Kimberly—have all served as models for his characters D.W. and Francine. Brown patterned Buster after Terry Johnson, his best friend in elementary school, while Mr. Ratburn is based on “the meanest algebra teacher ever.”
Brown was born in 1946 in Erie, Pennsylvania. Before he created the Arthur series, he worked at a variety of jobs, including stints as a truck driver, short-order cook, college professor, soda jerk, actor, chicken farmer, and television art director. Now, in addition to developing the Arthur television series on PBS, Brown continues to create new books both for Random House Children’s Books and Little, Brown & Company Children’s Books. The Arthur publishing program at Random House includes the Great Big Flap Books, Arthur’s Neighborhood and Arthur Goes to School, as well as the Step into Reading Sticker Books, Arthur’s Reading Race and Glasses for D.W. In addition, Brown has also created Arthur Mini-Play Books for younger readers, including Kiss Hello, Kiss Good-bye and Say the Magic Word. Arthur and D.W. outdo themselves in Arthur’s Really Helpful Word Book.
Marc Brown lives with his wife Laurie and their young daughter, Eliza. He also has two grown sons, Tolon and Tucker. Brown looks to his three children for inspiration and story ideas. He also gets many suggestions from children he meets in schools, libraries, and bookstores around the country.
PRAISE
ARTHUR’S FIRST KISS
—A New York Times Bestseller
author bookshelf
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The Arthur and Friends Collection
Written by Marc Brown
Read by Mark Linn-Baker
- Format: Unabridged Compact Disc
- On Sale: March 13, 2007
- Price: $19.95
Buster’s Dino Dilemma
When Arthur’s third-grade class goes hunting for fossils at Rainbow Rock State Park,
Buster actually finds one. There’s just one problem: he wants to keep it. Can Arthur
persuade Buster to return the important discovery?
Who’s in Love with Arthur?
When it comes to square dancing, there’s no better pair than Arthur... Read more »
Arthur Accused!
Written by Marc Brown
Read by Mark Linn-Baker
- Format: Unabridged Audiobook Download
- On Sale: August 14, 2007
- Price: $5.99
Arthur Accused!
Arthur's heart is in the right place when he collects quarters to buy a Dalmatian for the fire house. But when he is accused of stealing the money, Buster must come to the rescue and solve the mystery. Read more »
Arthur and the Cootie-Catcher
Written by Marc Brown
Read by Mark Linn-Baker
- Format: Unabridged Audiobook Download
- On Sale: November 13, 2007
- Price: $5.99
Arthur and the Crunch Cereal Contest
Written by Marc Brown
Read by Mark Linn-Baker
- Format: Unabridged Audiobook Download
- On Sale: July 24, 2007
- Price: $5.99
There's a year's worth of Crunch Cereal on the line...and it'll be awarded to the composer of the best jingle. Arthur is so determined to win, he almost forgets about fairness. Read more »
Arthur and the Lost Diary
Written by Marc Brown
Read by Mark Linn-Baker
- Format: Unabridged Audiobook Download
- On Sale: October 9, 2007
- Price: $5.99
Arthur and the Lost Diary — Sue Ellen confides everything to her trusty diary. But when she loses it in the library, the hunt is on. The problem is, will someone else find it? Read more »
Arthur and the Popularity Test
Written by Marc Brown
Read by Mark Linn-Baker
- Format: Unabridged Audiobook Download
- On Sale: October 9, 2007
- Price: $5.99
Arthur and the Popularity Test
Fern and Sue Ellen find that the test with no correct answers is the hardest on to learn from of all. Read more »
Arthur and the Scare-Your-Pants-Off Club
Written by Marc Brown
Read by Mark Linn-Baker
- Format: Unabridged Audiobook Download
- On Sale: April 24, 2007
- Price: $5.99
Arthur and his pals can't wait for the next book in the Scare-Your-Pants-Off series, until they learn that a parents' group is trying to ban the popular books. The gang learns about standing up for what's right as they get help from a surprising source. Read more »
Arthur Locked in the Library
Written by Marc Brown
Read by Mark Linn-Baker
- Format: Unabridged Audiobook Download
- On Sale: August 14, 2007
- Price: $5.99
Locked in the Library
A feud between Francine and Arthur has gotten out of hand. When Mr. Ratburn teams them up for a report on heroes, they learn the true meaning of the word...quite unexpectedly. Read more »
Arthur Makes the Team
Written by Marc Brown
Read by Mark Linn-Baker
- Format: Unabridged Audiobook Download
- On Sale: April 24, 2007
- Price: $5.99
It feels as if it'll be a long season for Arthur as he struggles to sharpen his baseball skills and ends up learning an important lesson about teamwork. Read more »
Arthur Rocks with Binky
Written by Marc Brown
Read by Mark Linn-Baker
- Format: Unabridged Audiobook Download
- On Sale: October 9, 2007
- Price: $5.99
Arthur Rocks with BINKY
The gang is so excited when they get coveted tickets to the BINKY concert. And now, Arthur is in for the chance of a lifetime, but will he realize that not sharing the excitement with his friends will make for a hollow experience? Read more »
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Marc Brown's Arthur Chapter Books: Volume 2
Written by Marc Brown
Read by Mark Linn-Baker
- Format: Unabridged Cassette
- On Sale: March 14, 2000
- Price: $18.00
Read by Mark Linn-Baker
1 hour 58 minutes, 2 cassettes
Three popular Chapter Books spring to life to delight fans of Marc Brown's Arthur© series:
Arthur and the Crunch Cereal Contest — There's a year's worth of Crunch Cereal on the line...and it'll be awarded to the composer of the best jingle. Arthur is... Read more »
Arthur's Mystery Envelope
Written by Marc Brown
Read by Mark Linn-Baker
- Format: Unabridged Audiobook Download
- On Sale: April 24, 2007
- Price: $5.99
What can possibly be in the sealed envelope Mr. Ratburn sent home with Arthur? Arthur is so worried he can't even eat or sleep. Whatever it is he's done . . . he's sure it can't be good. Read more »
Marc Brown's Arthur: Books 1 and 2
Written by Marc Brown
Read by Mark Linn-Baker
- Format: Unabridged Audiobook Download
- On Sale: July 22, 2003
- Price: $4.50
It looks like trouble when the principal asks Arthur to take home a large envelope marked CONFIDENTIAL. His friends try to guess what’s inside. It might just be information on . . . summer school! Will Arthur face the consequences or pretend to lose the envelope? Read more »
Marc Brown's Arthur: Books 3 and 4
Written by Marc Brown
Read by Mark Linn-Baker
- Format: Unabridged Audiobook Download
- On Sale: February 24, 2004
- Price: $5.95
#3 - Arthur Makes the Team – It feels as if it'll be a long season for Arthur as he struggles to sharpen his baseball skills and ends up learning an important lesson about teamwork.
#4 - Arthur and the Crunch Cereal Contest – There's a year's worth of Crunch Cereal on... Read more »
Buster's Dino Dilemma
Written by Marc Brown
Read by Mark Linn-Baker
- Format: Unabridged Audiobook Download
- On Sale: August 14, 2007
- Price: $5.99
Buster’s Dino Dilemma
When Arthur’s third-grade class goes hunting for fossils at Rainbow Rock State Park, Buster actually finds one. There’s just one problem: he wants to keep it. Can Arthur persuade Buster to return the important discovery? Read more »
Francine, Believe It or Not
Written by Marc Brown
Read by Mark Linn-Baker
- Format: Unabridged Audiobook Download
- On Sale: November 13, 2007
- Price: $5.99
Francine, Believe It or Not
Muffy is so sure that Francine can’t be nice for a whole week that she bets her Princess Peach watch on it. Arthur and his friends push Francine to her limits, but she doesn’t lose her temper — at first. Will Francine be able to keep her... Read more »
King Arthur
Written by Marc Brown
Read by Mark Linn-Baker
- Format: Unabridged Audiobook Download
- On Sale: October 9, 2007
- Price: $5.99
The Mystery of the Stolen Bike
Written by Marc Brown
Read by Mark Linn-Baker
- Format: Unabridged Audiobook Download
- On Sale: September 11, 2007
- Price: $5.99
The Mystery of the Stolen Bike
Francine needs a new bike, but all her parents can give her is her dad's old one...and it is ancient. When the bike disappears Francine thinks her problem is solved, but soon finds herself anything but relieved. Read more »
Who's In Love with Arthur?
Written by Marc Brown
Read by Mark Linn-Baker
- Format: Unabridged Audiobook Download
- On Sale: October 9, 2007
- Price: $5.99
Who’s in Love with Arthur?
When it comes to square dancing, there’s no better pair than Arthur and Francine. But does one of them have a different idea of what it means to be partners? Read more »
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