Who is Mercer Mayer - Children's Book Author

Mercer Mayer's books can span the age range with children from toddlerhood to early reading stages.

In both my classroom and home, I have seen the reaction and relation children have with Mercer Mayer's books. They are a fun look at some of the simplest things in life through eyes a child can relate to.

There have been quite a few children, including my son, who have been inspired to read by the many books in Mercer Mayer's series. The characters are whimsical and fun. The subject matter is sometimes the simplest thing but is looked at in a light and sometimes humorous way. Mercer Mayer books have been at the focal point of many giggles in my reading time with my son as well as in my Pre-K classroom when I was still teaching.

Little Critter is a rather expansive series that starts with subject matter that is on the level with toddlers and Pre-K children.

For toddlers, lets start with The New Potty, which can be read in their toilet training stages. There's also The New Baby which is a great book for most children in their toddler to Pre-K years who often experience the birth of a younger sibling.

Little Critter has books about and adventures with family members that are enjoyable to read. There are books about Little Critter with Dad, Mom, Grandma and Grandpa. It's a pretty extensive series about families and family life. Each brings the fun, lighthearted way that Mercer Mayer has with his Little Critter series.

Little Critter's line also has books that explore many of the life learning lessons and experiences that teach toddler to Pre-K aged children. It includes subject matter dealing with manners, making mistakes and coping with emotions that young children face. Again, Mercer Mayer brings a cuteness and sense of humor to the subject matter through Little Critter that is distinctly his.

As children grow there are also fun books in Mercer Mayer's series which I will later cover as they were and still are some of my son's absolute favorites to this day. They deal with the eerie, spooky things that children sometimes feel in such a fun and humorous way that they find themselves giggling about them.

There are more advanced books in the series, including LC and the Critter Kids, which my son is just now delving into.

Mercer Mayer makes reading fun! As a parent and teacher, there are at least 50 Mercer Mayer books that grace the shelves in our house. None of them will probably leave anytime soon. Even as my son ages, he still has a deep love and enthusiasm for the Mercer Mayer books. They still inspire him to read and bring back wonderful memories of his toddler and Pre-K years.

Little Critter made his literary debut in 1975 in a book called Just For You. In this fun story, Little Critter tries to be helpful for his mother around the house. But all his efforts turn into disasters. It's very cute!

That was the birth of the Little Critter who at best I can ascertain is the main character in 92 of Mercer Mayer's books for the toddler to Pre-K age group. There are also a handful of Little Sister books about the younger sister of Little Critter.

There is a Board Book and Lift-A-Flap book series available for the younger children which feature the Little Critter.

As children advance in their reading skills, there is a pretty extensive selection of early readers. The Little Critter is also featured in workbooks for Ages Pre-K to Grade 2 that deal with Math, Basic Concepts, Language Arts, Phonics and Reading.

For Grade 2 and above, there's the fun LC and the Critter Kids series most of which were written by Erica Farber using Mercer Mayer's Critter. Mercer Mayer was the illustrator for those books. There are about 2 dozen books in that series.

All adds up to lots of Little Critter and Mercer Mayer fun for your child from toddlerhood through grade school.

There are so many titles, I have featured some in Amazon and Ebay sections for purchase but there are many more out there!

Why not grab some Mercer Mayer books, cuddle up with your child and read? It is sure to be great fun!

This lens donates to Room To Read because I am passionate about reading to children. So as you shop around and consider picking up one of our great selections from Mercer Mayer, not only are you getting a great read for your special child, but you are helping a less fortunate child get the opportunity to read too! How is that for a great thing?