Marc Brown
Discuss This Author
“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
Dancing Feet!
Clickity! Clickity! Long green feet! Who is dancing that clickity beat?Lizard is dancing on clickity feet. Clickity! Clickity! Happy feet!Introducing a get-up-and-dance toddler book-so...
Available In:
- Board
- Hardcover
- eBook
Farmyard Beat
Author Lindsey Craig teams up with Arthur creator and bestselling artist Marc Brown in a toe-tapping farmyard dance-a-thon—perfect for toddler and preschooler read-alouds. As soon as the sun goes...
Available In:
- Board
- Hardcover
- Hardcover Library Binding
- eBook
Wild About You!
The tree kangaroo at the zoo would like nothing more than a baby of her own. So, when a new egg arrives via the endangered species van, the 'roo jumps at the chance to take care of it, even when no one...
Available In:
- Hardcover
- Hardcover Library Binding
Arthur and the School Pet
During Christmas vacation week, D.W. volunteers to take the classroom pet gerbil, Speedy, home for the holidays. D.W. plans to teach him some new tricks to show her class, but soon learns that taking care...
Available In:
- Trade Paperback
- Hardcover Library Binding
Wild About Books
It started the summer of 2002, when the Springfield librarian, Molly McGrew, by mistake drove her bookmobile into the zoo.In this rollicking rhymed story, Molly introduces birds and beasts to this new...
Available In:
- Hardcover
- Hardcover Library Binding
- iPad App
Arthur Lost in the Museum
During a class visit to the museum, Arthur needs to make a quick visit to the boys’ lavatory. But a wrong turn leads him into a diorama of life-size models of Pilgrims celebrating the first Thanksgiving...
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Arthur's Classroom Fib
When Arthur and his classmates head back to school, they're asked to write about their summer vacation. But when Arthur hears the exciting things his friends have done, Arthur feels he must make up a better...
Available In:
- Trade Paperback
- Hardcover Library Binding
Arthur in New York
WHEN ARTHUR AND D.W. travel to New York City with their parents, they visit the Statue of Liberty, a museum, and they even see a Broadway show! But D.W. is most excited about visiting Mary Moo-Cow Palace...
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Arthur's Reading Trick
Will Arthur figure out D.W.’s reading trick?D.W. makes a bet with Arthur that she can teach Baby Kate how to read in a single afternoon. The loser of the bet has to change their little sister’s...
Available In:
- Trade Paperback
- Hardcover Library Binding
Buying, Training, and Caring for Your Dinosaur
A hilarious guide to having a dinosaur . . . as a pet!Dogs are delightful. Cats are cute. And fish are fun. But the best pet of all is . . . a DINOSAUR!But how do you pick the dino that’s right for...
Available In:
- Hardcover
- eBook
Born to Read
THE AWARD-WINNING COLLABORATORS of the New York Times #1 picture book bestseller Wild About Books are back with a new story that promotes books and reading. Told in Judy Sierra’s inimitable read-aloud...
Available In:
- Hardcover
- Hardcover Library Binding
ZooZical
Winter weather is keeping children from visiting the zoo. So the animals are out of sorts—listless, grumpy, and no longer fun. All except two little friends, a very small hippo and a baby kangaroo....
Available In:
- Hardcover
- Hardcover Library Binding
- eBook
Read-Aloud Rhymes for the Very Young
First published in 1986 and just as fresh and relevant today, this widely acclaimed, child-friendly poetry anthology is now being reissued with a striking new jacket. In his introduction to this book Jim...
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Arthur's Reading Race
Arthur promises to buy ice cream for his little sister, D.W., if she can read ten words. The twosome race to the park, where D.W. is quick to recognize signs such as ZOO, DON'T WALK, POLICE,...
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Arthur Tricks the Tooth Fairy
D.W. is jealous when her big brother Arthur loses a tooth and gets a visit from the Tooth Fairy. Arthur explains that the Tooth Fairy comes only when you lose a tooth and put it under your pillow...
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Arthur's Lost Puppy
Arthur and D.W. take Baby Kate and Pal to the neighborhood street fair. But suddenly Baby Kate starts crying. Arthur sends D.W. to buy Kate an ice cream cone, and she carefully ties Pal's leash to a bench...
Available In:
- Trade Paperback
- Trade Paperback
Arthur's Fire Drill
When D.W.'s teacher announces that they will have a fire drill, D.W. is afraid the school is going to burn down! So Arthur gives her his fire fighter's hat, a whistle, and a few tips on fire...
Available In:
- Trade Paperback
- Trade Paperback
The Arthur and Friends Collection
Buster’s Dino DilemmaWhen 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...
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Arthur's Mystery Envelope
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.
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Arthur and the Scare-Your-Pants-Off Club
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...
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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.
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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 so determined to win, he almost forgets about fairness.
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Arthur Accused!
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...
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Arthur Locked in the Library
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.
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Buster's Dino Dilemma
Buster’s Dino DilemmaWhen 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...
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The Mystery of the Stolen Bike
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...
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Arthur and the Lost Diary
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?
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Who's In Love with Arthur?
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?
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Arthur Rocks with Binky
Arthur Rocks with BINKYThe 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...
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Arthur and the Popularity Test
Arthur and the Popularity TestFern and Sue Ellen find that the test with no correct answers is the hardest on to learn from of all.
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Francine, Believe It or Not
Francine, Believe It or NotMuffy 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...
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Marc Brown's Arthur: Books 1 and 2
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!...
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Marc Brown's Arthur: Books 3 and 4
#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...
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