Mercer Mayer

About

An American children's book author and illustrator, he is best known for his Little Critter and Little Monster series for beginning readers. His most famous individual titles include There's a Nightmare in My Closet and If I Had a Gorilla. He has stated that There's a Nightmare In My Closet and A Boy, A Dog and A Frog were about him as a child dealing with fear of the closet and chasing frogs in Arkansas swamps, respectively.

Before Fame

During his studies at the Honolulu Museum of Art, he decided to become an illustrator. In 1964, he began training at The Art Students League of New York.

Trivia

He published more than 300 children's books in all and also illustrated titles by Jan Wahl, Jay Williams, and other writers. His favorite book to write was Liza Lou and the Yeller Belly Swamp.

Family Life

He was born in Little Rock, Arkansas. He moved to Hawaii at the age of 13 and later moved to New York after high school. He lives with his family in New England.

Associated With

He follows celebrities on Instagram such as Anne Hathaway and Mindy Kaling.