Interesting Facts:
- Author and Illustrator
- Inspired by his Grandma Thora, who told him many stories while growing up
- Best known for writing and illustrating the Arthur book series
- Came up with Arthur one night when telling his son a bedtime story
- Has three children, and hides their names in the illustrations of the Arthur books
- Helped create Arthur's World television series
Quotes:
"I love working with kids, I love drawing; I love telling stories, but how do I make a living doing this?"
"I think of kids as my boss, and I really take my job seriously and I don't want to be fired, because I really like what I do."
"It's always coming back to real life. It's coming back to something that happens in real life that I know kids are interested in, that kids are bothered by or it could be helpful to their families."
Major Works:
Small Sample of Arthur Books:
Picture:- Arthur's Christmas
- Arthur's Valentine
- Arthur's Thanksgiving
- Arthur Turns Green
- Arthur's Family Vacation
- Arthur's Underwear
- Arthur and the Baby
Chapter:
- Arthur and the Best Coach Ever
- Arthur Babysits
- Arthur's Mystery Envelope
- Arthur's Reading Race
Sample of D.W. Series:
- D.W. The Picky Eater
- D.W.'s Library Card
- D.W.'s Lost Blankie
- D.W. Flips!
Illustrated:
- Little Witch's Big Night by Deborah Hautzig
- Happy Birthday, Little Witch by Deborah Hautzig
- Rabbit's New Rug by Judy Delton
- If All the Animals Came Inside by Eric Pinder
- What Makes the Sun Shine? by Isaac Asimov
Written with Laurie Krasny Brown:
- Dinosaur's Travel (Dinosaurs Travel) by Laurie Krasny Brown and Marc Brown
- Dinosaurs Alive and Well!: A Guide to Good Health (Dino Life Guides for Families) by Marc Brown and Laurie Krasny Brown
- How to Be a Friend: A Guide to Making Friends and Keeping Them (Dino Life Guides for Families) by Laurie Krasny Brown and Marc Brown
- When Dinosaurs Die: A Guide to Understanding Death (Dino Life Guides for Families) by Laurie Krasny Brown and Marc Brown
- Dinosaurs Divorce by Laurie Krasny Brown and Marc Brown
Book Reflections:
Arthur's TV Trouble
Summary: Arthur sees an item on a commercial that he wants to get. He asks his parents, but they both mention that "business is slow" and "money doesn't grow on trees," so he starts looking for money. Buster tells him he should get a job, which he finds down the street collecting papers for a neighbor. Once he finally buys the item, realizes the item isn't as awesome as he thought it would be.
Response: I like that in this book, the issue of money, and the fact that they don't spend their money frivolously, is brought up. I also like how Brown conveyed the idea that sometimes when you think you really need something, you find out that you didn't really need it, or it isn't as great as you thought it would be.
Arthur Writes A Story
Summary: Arthur's teacher gives the class a creative writing assignment to write about something important to them. Arthur starts off with a story he really likes, but gradually changes it with each person's new suggestion. In the end, Arthur's tells this new story to the class, and then tells his original story, and everyone agrees his original story was better.
Response: I like this book because throughout the story, Arthur is worried his story won't be as exciting, factual, funny, etc., as his peers. He learns that his own writing and own creativity are good enough and that he can create a story that it great all by himself.
Thoughts About Characteristics of Writing:
I like that Marc Brown writes stories that deal with real issues and experiences that young children are going though. There are several items I noticed where Brown incorporates diversity and breaks the stereotypes in his Arthur books.
1. All of the characters are different animals, look different, and are different colors (corresponding with the actual animals color)
2. Arthur's has one mother and one father in the household, while his best friend Buster Baxter lives with his mother, who was divorced.
3. The "class bully," Binky, enjoys playing clarinet and Ballet.
4. A female character, Francine, has a big goal of being in the Olympics.
5. Different characters have different religions, and they celebrate different holidays, such as Christmas, Kwanzaa, and Hanukkah.
6. Arthur's grandma plays a big role in the stories and helps the family.
7. Different characters come from different socioeconomic statuses - The only problem I could see with this is that the girl from the rich family is usually perceived as the snotty one.
8. Different characters are at different skill levels - Brain is one who is very smart academically.
7. Different characters come from different socioeconomic statuses - The only problem I could see with this is that the girl from the rich family is usually perceived as the snotty one.
8. Different characters are at different skill levels - Brain is one who is very smart academically.
I think Brown does a good job of trying to write characters and experiences so that all children can find themselves in the story. He has a good variety of Arthur picture books, chapter books, books staring D.W. and other non-Arthur books, so that every student can hopefully find a book they like to read.
Related Websites:
Marc Brown Blog: http://marcbrownstudios.com/blog
Fun Arthur Website: http://pbskids.org/arthur/index.html
Videos:
"Arthur" Creator Marc Brown: Why We Should Read to Our Kids
Marc Brown Interview
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