Marc Brown (author) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Marc Brown
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Brown at a Naperville, Illinois bookstore in April 2011
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| Born | Marc Tolon Brown November 25, 1946 Erie, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Occupation |
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| Genre | Children's books, television shows |
| Years active | 1969–present |
| Spouse |
Stephanie Marini
(m. 1968; div. 1977)Laurene Krasny
(m. 1983) |
| Children | 3 |
Marc Tolon Brown was born on November 25, 1946. He is an American author and illustrator of children's books. Marc Brown is famous for creating the Arthur book series. He also writes and illustrates these popular books. Many TV shows have been made based on his Arthur series.
Marc Brown's Early Life and Inspiration
Marc Brown grew up in Erie, Pennsylvania, with his three sisters. His grandmother, Thora, told him many stories. These stories later inspired him to write his own. For example, he used his 7th-grade algebra teacher's name, Mr. Rathbun, for the character Mr. Ratburn.
Grandma Thora also encouraged Marc's love for drawing. He discovered this talent when he was six years old. At McDowell Senior High School, his art teacher, Nancy Bryan, showed him how to use watercolors. Marc still uses watercolors for most of his illustrations today. He was also inspired by other artists like Marc Chagall. Maurice Sendak, who wrote Where the Wild Things Are, also helped Marc decide to become a children's book illustrator.
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With his grandmother's help, Marc Brown studied graphic design. He went to the Cleveland Institute of Art. Even though some people didn't think it was a good idea, Marc kept working towards his dream. He wanted to be a children's book illustrator.
After graduating, Marc showed his drawings to a publishing company. It was called Houghton Mifflin in Boston, Massachusetts. They offered him a $5,000 deal. This offer helped Marc decide to make illustrating his full-time job. In 1969, he started teaching part-time at Garland Junior College in Boston. He also illustrated textbooks.
Marc Brown's Career Journey
Before becoming a full-time writer, Marc Brown had many different jobs. He worked as a truck driver and a short-order cook. He was also a TV art director and a college professor. His time as a professor was short because the college closed down.
Marc Brown published the first Arthur book in 1976. It was called Arthur's Nose. He has hidden the names of his two sons, Tolon Adam and Tucker Eliot, in almost all the Arthur books. His daughter, Eliza, also has her name hidden in at least two books.
Marc Brown has won three Emmy awards. The Arthur TV series, based on his books, was very popular on PBS. It was the number one show for three years: 1997, 2000, and 2001. Marc was an executive producer for the show from season ten to season twenty-five.
In 2000, five Arthur audiobooks were released. Two more came out in 2007 and 2009. The books became a television series in 1996. The show aired on PBS and was for kids aged four to eight. It ran for almost 25 years, ending on February 21, 2022. By 2011, Marc Brown had published over forty Arthur books. He also created seven audiobooks and two beginner books.
Marc Brown's Family Life
Marc Brown married his first wife, Stephanie Marini, on September 1, 1968. She was a ballet dancer and a college teacher. They had two sons together. Their marriage ended in 1977.
On September 11, 1983, he married his second wife, Laurene Krasny. She is a psychologist and a writer. They have one daughter.
