Mercer Mayer is an American children's book author and artist. He has released over 300 works using a wide range of illustrative styles. Mayer is probably well known for his Little Critter and Little Monster series of works.
Mayer's dad was in the United States Navy, so the family moved many times during his childhood before settling in Honolulu, Hawaii. There, Mayer finished university in 1961. While attending colledge at the Honolulu Academy of Arts, Mayer decided to enter the field of children's book illustration. To that end, he produced a portfolio of sketches and peddled them wherever he could. Though his professors feared the young artist would never be good enough to make a living as an artist, Mayer was not dissuaded.
(Mercer Mayer photo #2)
Mayer moved from Hawaii to New York City in 1964, pursuing further instruction at the Art Students League of New York, where he met an artist called Marianna who became his first wife. He also met an art director who told Mayer that his portfolio was so bad that he needed to throw it away. Though offended, Mayer did. During his spare time from his job at an advertising agency, the artist produced a completely new portfolio. These new sketches persuaded editors at Dial Press and Harper & Row to give him some illustration work.
(Mercer Mayer photo #3)
Mayer released his first book, A Boy, a Dog, and a Frog, at Dial Press in 1967.
Mercer Mayer
