Mercer Mayer
Teacher Resource File

Welcome to the Internet School Library Media Center Mercer Mayer page. You will find biography and lesson plans on this page. For other children's authors, see Children's and Young Adult Authors & Illustrators. You can search this site, use an index or sitemap.

[Biography] [Biography Links] [Lesson Plans - There's a Nightmare in My Closet] [Other Lesson Plans] [Bibliography]

Mercer Mayer

By Jason Craig and Inez Ramsey

Mercer Mayer was born on December 10, 1943 in Little Rock, Arkansas. His father was in the Navy so the family moved around many times. The Mayers finally settled in Honolulu, Hawaii. Mercer divided his free-time between snake and lizard hunting in the nearby swamps and reading picture books. After he graduated from high school, he moved to New York City to study art. He decided he wanted to be a children's book illustrator. His professors discouraged this ambition since they felt he could not make a living at it. Mercer worked for an advertising agency for a period of time but was able to get some children's book illustration work.

He published his first book, A Boy, a Dog, and a Frog, a wordless picture book, in 1967. It was a success and highly praised. He is given credit as one of the creators of the wordless picture book form. He illustrated five more books in this series. Today, he has written and/or illustrated more than eighty picture books which include a broad range of illustrative styles. He enjoys telling stories through pictures and words.

Mercer Mayer also illustrates in a form called nonsense fiction which is humorous, "way-out" fantasy. An example is his Appelard and Liverwurst (1978) in which a farmer has many wild adventures with his new farm hand, a rhinoceros. The illustrations in this book are complex but support a nonsense tone in the book.

In 1976 he joined Golden Publishing, publishers of the inexpensive Golden Books. These books are sold in most grocery and drug stores. His "Little Critter" series and "Little Monster" series are very popular and account for much of his publishing efforts. You'll find a whole page with great illustrations at Little Critter's Little Critter Page. These books are brightly illustrated with simple, didactic [teaches a lesson about life] plots.

He has also worked with other authors, such as Jay Williams. Their first book, Everybody Knows What a Dragon Looks Like (1976), are breath-taking examples of color and realism which complement the old Asian folktale. He is more than an illustrator. He is an artist. You will find some Mercer Mayer page at the Educational Paperback Association's 100 Top Authors for Children.

Mayer's books have been published as interactive story books on CD-ROM, from Broderbund Software and Random House. He now has his own company which is producing CD-ROM adaptations of his books.

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Biography Links

Mercer Mayer
More recent biography from Educational Paperback Organization
Mercer Mayer
Past biography from Educational Paperback Organization
Artist Profile. Mercer Mayer
Biographical sketch and picture gallery
from Adobe
Feelings
Preschool; by Debbie Haren; I Was So Mad;
from atozteacherstuff.com

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Lesson Plans - There's a Nightmare in My Closet

Mercer Mayer
Some ideas for using "The Little Critter" books;
by Diane Corley
There's a Nightmare in My Closet
Grades 1 to 3; visual arts; by David Miklethun;
from AskERIC
There's a Nightmare in My Closet
Grade 1; challenges, courage, survival; by Corinne Levine;
from EduPlace
Monsters, Monsters, Monsters
Primary grades; an Internet project by Elissa Gerzog;
There's a Nightmare in My Closet
There's a Nightmare in My Closet!
Grade 1; language arts; by Lisa Jackson from AskERIC

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Other Lesson Plans

Land of Sweet Candy
Grades 1 to 3; fiction books which include candy or sweets in
the plot; There's an Alligator Under My Bed; from
"School Library Media Activities Monthly," AskERIC
Beware, Be Aware
Communications; advertising; insect education; The Pied
Piper of Hamelin; full lesson plan at Lady Bird Beetles;
from Center for Insect Science Education
There's Something in My Attic
Grade 1; courage/ survival; by Iram Kahn; from Eduplace
When I Get Bigger
Grade 1; growing up; by Traci Porter; from EduPlace
Just Going to the Dentist
Grade 2; by Kim Hagen; from EduPlace
There's an Alligator Under My Bed
Grade 2; challenges; by Linda Miller; from EduPlace

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His Works

A Boy, a Dog, and a Frog Dial, 1967.
There's a Nightmare in My Closet, Dial, 1968.
Terrible Troll Dial, 1968.
If I Had Dial, 1968.
I Am a Hunter, Dial, 1969.
Frog, Where Are You? Dial, 1969.
A Special Trick Dial, 1970.
The Queen Always Wanted to Dance Simon and Schuster, 1971.
A Silly Story Parents Magazine Press, 1972.
Frog on His Own Dial, 1973.
What Do You Do with a Kangaroo? Four Winds, 1974.
Two More Moral Tales Four Winds, 1974.
Walk, Robot, Walk Ginn, 1974.
You're the Scaredy-Cat"> Parents Magazine Press, 1974.
Frog Goes to Dinner Dial, 1974.
Just for You Golden Press, 1975.
The Great Cat Chase: A Wordless Picture Book Four Winds, 1975.
Professor Wormbog in Search of the Zipperump-a-Zoo Golden Press, 1976.
Liz Lou and the Great Yeller Belly Swamp Parents Magazine Press, 1976.

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