Synopses & Reviews
A Conversation with Laura Numeroff...
The If You Give a . . . series has a unique style of its own. Where did this style come from and how has it contributed to the success of the series?
The idea for "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie came to me on a long, boring car trip. I had an image in my head of a little mouse nibbling on a gigantic chocolate chip cookie. I pictured him getting crumbs in his whiskers, and then wanting some milk, and so the whole story unraveled right until the end when he was thirsty again and wanted another glass of milk!
I've been told by parents and teachers that kids like the circular pattern of the If You Give a . . . books, and how one thing eventually leads to another. When I first read the story to a classroom, the teacher said, "That s a wonderful circular story." I had no idea what that was, as I had never set out to write one!
Tell us about the various charities you are involved with, particularly First Book. Why is it important to give a child his or her first book?
Your new book is called "If You Take a Mouse to School. What made you decide to bringMouse to school? Did you base any of the scenes on your own experiences?
Mouse and I don t have much in common when it comes to school. First of all, he s good in math! Also, I always wanted to do very messy science experiments in school, but never got the chance. I gave Mouse the opportunity so I could live vicariously through him. He s also a bit of a sports nut, but I was always figuring out a way to get out of gym!
Mouse s curious nature enables him to make the most of his day at school. Describe your typical day.
My typical day starts out by cuddling with my dog Sydney and then taking him for a walk. After breakfast, I spend the morning catching up on phone calls and e-mails. I eat my lunch outside in my backyard. The view is spectacular and it always feels like a mini-vacation seeing the mountains and the city!
Then I spend the rest of the day working on my latest book. Three days a week I go horseback riding or I go to the gym and work out with weights. I also like to hike on the trails near my house. And at night, I love getting into bed with my dog and cats and reading, especially biographies.
Animals with active imaginations are an important part of your stories. How does your love of animals influence your work?
Speaking of animals, "Laura Numeroff s 10-Step Guide to Living with Your Monster features a different kind of pet. How did you become such an expert on monsters?
What books inspired you to become a writer?
As soon as I was old enough to have my very own library card, I would take out six books at a time (that was the maximum) and go back for more the following week. I loved "Stuart Little by E. B. White, "Eloise by Kay Thompson, and any book by Marguerite Henry or Beverly Cleary.
The If You Give a . . . series is so beloved by children. How do you feel when you see the way children react to your books?
It is the greatest feeling in the world to see a young child happily clutching my book in anticipation of me autographing it. When they tell me it s their favorite book, I am so touched and honored! But I ll never forget the little boy who said, "You re ruining my book," as I signed my name in it! I only hope kids enjoy reading my books as much as I enjoyed reading my favorites when I was a kid.
Synopsis
Is your monster misbehaving?
Is he eating your favorite shirts?
Is he using your hairbrush to clean his teeth?
Is he annoying your family on car trips?
Never fear those monster mishaps again!
Laura Numeroff and Nate Evans, the world's leading experts on monsters and the mischief they make, have created the ultimate 10-Step Guide to Living With Your Monster.
A portion of the proceeds from Laura Numeroff's 10-Step Guide To Living With Your Monster will be donated to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research.
Synopsis
Is your monster misbehaving?
Is he eating your favorite shirts?
Is he using your hairbrush to clean his teeth?
Is he annoying your family on car trips?
Never fear those monster mishaps again!
Laura Numeroff and Nate Evans, the world's leading experts on monsters and the mischief they make, have created the ultimate 10-Step Guide to Living With Your Monster.
A portion of the proceeds from Laura Numeroff's 10-Step Guide To Living With Your Monster will be donated to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research.
Synopsis
< h4="" align="center"> Is your monster misbehaving?< br=""> Is he eating your favorite shirts?< br=""> Is he using your hairbrush to clean his teeth?< br=""> Is he annoying your family on car trips?< br=""> Never fear those monster mishaps again < br=""> < 4=""> < p=""> Laura Numeroff and Nate Evans, the world's leading experts on monsters and the mischief they make, have created the ultimate < i=""> 10-Step Guide to Living With Your Monster.<> <> < p=""> A portion of the proceeds from < i=""> Laura Numeroff's 10-Step Guide To Living With Your Monster<> will be donated to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research. <>
About the Author
Laura Numeroff is the author of many books for young readers in addition to the If You Give . . . series, including
The Chicken Sisters and Laura Numeroff's
10-Step Guide to Living with Your Monster. She loves to play tennis and travel and lives in Los Angeles, California. A portion of her royalties will be donated to First Book, a national nonprofit organization that promotes children's literacy.
Laura Numeroff, autora de numerosos libros para niños, entre los que se incluye la conocida serie Si le das . . . , The Chicken Sister y Laura Numeroff's 10-Step Guide to Living with Your Monster. Vive en Los Angeles, California, donde le encanta montar a caballo, leer biografías y jugar con sus mascotas. Parte de las regalías obtenidas por este libro serán donadas a First Book, una organización nacional sin ánimo de lucro que promueve el amor por la lectura.
Nate Evans wanted to be a secret agent, a firefighter, or a magician when he was a kid. But he also loved to read and write. Now he has thirty-five children's books to his credit, including the New York Times bestsellers Ponyella and The Jellybeans and the Big Dance, both cowritten with Laura Numeroff, and the series Humpty Dumpty Jr: Hardboiled Detective, an IndieBound "Inspired Recommendation for Kids." He also illustrated Laura Numeroff's 10-step Guide to Living With Your Monster, among others.