Mercer Mayer bibliography facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Mercer Mayer is a famous American author and illustrator known for creating many beloved children's books. He has written and drawn over 300 books! This list shows some of his most popular works, especially those featuring his well-known characters like Little Critter and Little Monster. It also includes books and other fun items related to his creations, like coloring books and sticker books.

Mercer Mayer's Little Critter Books

Just for You, the first Little Critter book.

Little Critter is a super popular character created by Mercer Mayer. He's an animal character who acts like a human, but no one knows exactly what kind of animal he is! Some people think he might be a groundhog, guinea pig, hamster, wombat, or even a porcupine.

Little Critter first appeared in the book Just for You in 1975. You might notice the title on the cover sometimes looks like "Just for Yu" – that's a cute little mistake that looks like a child wrote it!

Here are some of the many books featuring Little Critter:

The Main Little Critter Series

These books were first published as "Look-Look Books" by Golden Books. You can also find some of them in special editions.

Just For You (1975) – The very first book!
Just Me and My Dad (1977)
The New Baby (1980)
All by Myself (1983)
I Was So Mad (1983)
Just Go To Bed (1983)
Just Grandma and Me (1983)
Just Grandpa and Me (1983)
Me Too! (1983)
Merry Christmas Mom and Dad (1983)
When I Get Bigger (1985)
Just Me and My Puppy (1985)
Just Me and My Babysitter (1986)
Just Me and My Little Sister (1986)
Just a Mess (1987)
Baby Sister Says No (1987)
Happy Easter, Little Critter (1988)
I Just Forgot (1988)
Just My Friend and Me (1988)
Just a Daydream (1989)
Just Shopping with Mom (1989)
Just Me and My Mom (1990)
Just Going to the Dentist (1990)
When I Grow Up (1991)
Just Me and My Little Brother (1991)
Little Critter at Scout Camp (1991)
What a Bad Dream (1992)
The New Potty (1992; with Gina Mayer)
Just Me and My Cousin (1992; with Gina Mayer)
This is My Family (1992; with Gina Mayer)
Little Critter's Joke Book (1993)
Trick or Treat, Little Critter (1993; with Gina Mayer)
A Very Special Critter (1993; with Gina Mayer)
Just Me in the Tub (1994; with Gina Mayer)
Just Lost! (1994; with Gina Mayer)
Just a Bully (1999; with Gina Mayer)
Just a New Neighbor (1999; with Gina Mayer)
Just a Toy (2000; with Gina Mayer)
Just a Piggy Bank (2001; with Gina Mayer)
Just a Secret (2001; with Gina Mayer)
Just a Snowy Vacation (2001; with Gina Mayer)
Just Not Invited (2002; with Gina Mayer)
Just a Baseball Game (2003; with Gina Mayer)
Just Fishing with Grandma (2003; with Gina Mayer)
Just a Little Homework (2004; with Gina Mayer)

New Adventures of Little Critter

This series continues the main stories with HarperFestival. Some of these books come with fun extras like stickers or pull-out posters!

Bye-Bye, Mom and Dad (2004; with Gina Mayer)
Good for Me and You (2004; with Gina Mayer)
Happy Halloween, Little Critter! (2004)
Just a School Project (2004; with Gina Mayer)
Just a Snowman (2004; with Gina Mayer)
Just Big Enough (2004; with Gina Mayer)
Merry Christmas, Little Critter (2004; with Gina Mayer)
My Trip to the Hospital (2005; with Gina Mayer)
Happy Valentine's Day, Little Critter (2005; with Gina Mayer)
Just so Thankful (2006; with Gina Mayer)
It's Easter, Little Critter! (2007; with Gina Mayer)
Grandma, Grandpa, and Me (2007; with Gina Mayer)
Happy Father's Day! (2007; with Gina Mayer)
The Lost Dinosaur Bone (December 2007)
Snowball Soup (an I Can Read book) (September 2007)
It's Earth Day (February 2008)
The Best Teacher Ever (May 2008)
Going to the Firehouse (an I Can Read book) (June 2008)
Just a Day at the Pond (July 2008)
To the Rescue! (an I Can Read book) (September 2008)
This Is My Town (an I Can Read book) (December 2008)
Happy Mother's Day! (March 2008)
First Day of School (June 2009)
The Fall Festival (an I Can Read book) (July 2009)
Going to the Sea Park (an I Can Read book) (September 2009)
Just a Little Music (December 2009)
Just a Little Sick (December 2009)
Just Saving My Money (an I Can Read book) (June 2010)
The Best Yard Sale (July 2010)
Just Critters Who Care (an I Can Read book) (August 2010)
Just a Little Luck (February 2011)
A Green, Green Garden (an I Can Read book) (March 2011)
Just Helping My Dad (an I Can Read book) (April, 2011)
The Best Show and Share (June, 2011)
Just a Little Too Little (February, 2012)
What a Good Kitty (May 2012)
We Are Moving (October, 2012)
Just a Big Storm (March, 2013)
Just One More Pet (May, 2013)
Just Big Enough (June 4, 2013)
It's True (Oct 8, 2013)
You Go First (Oct 8, 2013)
Just a Little Love (an I Can Read book) (November 26, 2013)
Just a Kite (an I Can Read book) (March 4, 2014)
Just My Lost Treasure (May 27, 2014)
Being Thankful (July 29, 2014)
We All Need Forgiveness (Jul 29, 2014)
Just a Special Day (an I Can Read book) (October 14, 2014)
Just Fishing with Grandma by Mercer Mayer and Gina Mayer (March 10, 2015)
Just A Baby Bird by Mercer Mayer (an I Can Read book) (2016)

Little Critter's Sister Books

These books focus on Little Critter's younger sister.

Little Sister's Birthday (1988)
Just a Nap (1989)
Just a Rainy Day (1990)
When I Grow Up (1991)
Just Camping Out (1991)
The New Potty (1992; with Gina Mayer)
Just a Thunderstorm (1993; with Gina Mayer)
My Big Sister (1995; with Gina Mayer)
The Magic Pumpkin (1997; with Gina Mayer)

Little Critter Storybooks with "Critter Kids"

These books feature Little Critter and his friends, often called the "Critter Kids."

Malcom's Race (1983)
Possum Child Goes Shopping (1983)
Little Sister's Bracelet (1983)
Bun Bun's Birthday (1983)
Bat Child's Haunted House (1983)
Gator Cleans House (1983)

Little Critter Readers

These books are designed to help young readers.

Little Critter Sleeps Over (1999)
My Trip to the Zoo (2001)
Country Fair (2002)
Show and Tell (2002)
Beach Day (2001)
Tiger's Birthday (2001)
A Day at Camp (2001)
The New Fire Truck (2001)
Grandma's Garden (2001)
Our Tree House (2001)
Goodnight, Little Critter (2001)
Class Trip (2001)
New Kid in Town (2001)
Helping Mom (2000)
Little Critters' The Best Present (2000)
Our Park (2000)
Field Day (2000)
Camping Out (2001)
The Mixed-up Morning (2001)
Our Friend Sam (2001)
My Trip to the Farm (2001)
No One Can Play (2001)
Play Ball (2001)
A Yummy Lunch (2001)
Snow Day (2001)
Surprise! (2002)
Harvest Time (2003)
We Love You, Little Critter (2003)
The Little Christmas Tree (2003)
Christmas for Miss Kitty (2003)
Play It Safe (2004)
Skating Day (2004)
Little Critter Goes To School (2020)

Little Critter Board Books

These sturdy books are perfect for younger children.

Little Critter's Play with Me (1982)
Astronaut Critter (1986)
Construction Critter (1986)
Cowboy Critter (1986)
Fireman Critter (1986)
Police Critter (1986)
Mail Critter (1987)
Doctor Critter (1987)
Sailor Critter (1987)
Little Critter's Day (1990)
Little Critter at Play (1990)
Little Critter Colors (1992)
Little Critter Numbers (1992)
Little Critter Shapes (1992)
Little Critter's ABC's (1993)
Just a Dump Truck (2004)
Just a Tugboat (2004)
Little Critter: A Busy Day (2011)

Little Critter Activity Books

These books are full of fun activities!

Little Critter: My Stories: Write and Draw Your Own Stories (1991)
Little Critter Stand Ups to Color and Share (1992)
Little Critter Mini-Boxes to color & share (1992)
Little Critter Postcards to color & share (1992)
Little Critter Favorite Things (1994)
Little Critter's Day at the Farm (1994)
Little Critter's Holiday Fun Sticker Book (1994)
Little Critter's Song and Activity Book (1996)
Little Critter's Halloween: A Coloring and Activity Book (1997)
Little Critter's Christmas: A Coloring and Activity Book (1997)
Little Critter's Backseat Busy Book (1999)
Painting the Seasons with Little Critter (2003)
Fun at School with Little Critter (2004)

Little Critter Book Collections

These books bring together several Little Critter stories in one place.

Little Critter's Bedtime Storybook (1987)
Two-minute Little Critter Stories: Eight favorite stories (1990)
Just Me and My Family (1997)
Just Me and My Family: Six Story Books in One (1999)
Little Critter Read-It-Yourself Storybook: Six Funny Easy to Read Stories (2000)
Growing Every Day (A Little Critter Collection) (2002)
Feelings and Manners (2002)
Little Critter Storybook Collection (2005)
Just a Little Critter Collection: 7 Books Inside (2005)
Little Critter: Just a Storybook Collection (2012)
Little Critter: Phonics Fun (a box set of 12 mini-paperbacks)
Little Critter: Bedtime Stories (2013)

Mercer Mayer's Little Monster Series

Little Monster's Bedtime Book by Mercer Mayer

Little Monster is another fun character created by Mercer Mayer. He looks like a friendly, dinosaur-like dragon! He first appeared in Little Monster's Word Book in 1977. Some other characters from his world were first seen in One Monster After Another (1975) and Professor Wormbog in Search for the Zipperump-A-Zoo (1976).

Here are some books featuring Little Monster:

Little Monster's Word Book (1977)
Little Monster's Alphabet Book (1978)
Little Monster's Counting Book (1978)
Little Monster's Neighborhood (1978)
Little Monster at School (1978)
Little Monster at Home (1978)
Little Monster at Work (1978)
Little Monster's Bedtime Book (1978)
Little Monster's Library (1978)
Little Monster's You-Can-Make-It Book (1978)
Little Monster's Mother Goose (1979)
Little Monster's Scratch and Sniff Mystery (1980)
Little Monster's Sports Fun Sticker Book (1985)
Little Monster's Moving Day Sticker Book (1995)
Little Monster Private Eye: The Smelly Mystery (1998)
Little Monster Private Eye: The Lost Wish (1998)
Little Monster Private Eye: How The Zebra Lost His Stripes (1998)
Mercer Mayer's Little Monster Private Eye: The Mummy Mystery (1998)
Mercer Mayer's Little Monster Private Eye: 101 Penguins (1998)
Mercer Mayer's Little Monster Private Eye: The Bubble Gum Pirates (1998)
Mercer Mayer's Little Monster Treasury Book (2007)
Little Monster at Museum of Natural History (2021)

Professor Wormbog Series

Characters from the Professor Wormbog books often appear in the Little Monster series too.

Professor Wormbog in Search for the Zipperump-A-Zoo (1976)
Professor Wormbog's Gloomy Kerploppus: A Book of Great Smells (and a Heart-Warming Story, Besides) (1977)
Professor Wormbog's Cut It, Glue It, Tape It, Do It (1980)
Professor Wormbog's Crazy Cut-Ups (1980)

Boy, Dog, Frog Series

This is a series of six books that tell stories without using any words! They are often smaller in size.

A Boy, a Dog and a Frog (1967)
Frog, Where Are You? (1969)
A Boy, a Dog, a Frog, and a Friend (1971)
Frog on His Own (1973)
Frog Goes to Dinner (1974)
One Frog Too Many (1975)
Four Frogs In a Box (1976) (a collection of the first four books)

Tink Tonk Series

These books are also known as A Tiny Tink! Tonk! Tale series. Mercer Mayer also developed video games based on these characters!

Tinka Bakes a Cake (1984)
Tink Goes Fishing (1984)
Tuk Takes a Trip (1984)
Tonk Gives a Magic Show (1985)
Teep and Beep Go to Sleep (1985)
Zoomer Builds a Racing Car (1985)

"There's a..." Series

These books often feature a child dealing with a friendly, imaginary monster.

There's a Nightmare in My Closet (1968)
There's an Alligator Under My Bed (1987)
There's Something in My Attic (1988)
There's Something There: Three Bedtime Classics (1998) (includes Nightmare, Alligator, and Attic)
There Are Monsters Everywhere (2005)

One Word Series

These are almost wordless books featuring animal characters, with just one word in the title.

Hiccup (1976)
Ah-choo (1976)
Oops (1977)

Fairy Tale and Classic Story Retellings

Mercer Mayer has also retold and illustrated classic stories.

Beauty and the Beast (with Marianna Mayer) (1978)
East of the Sun & West of the Moon (1980)
Favorite Tales from Grimm (Retold by Nancy Garden) (1982)
The Sleeping Beauty (1984)
A Christmas Carol (1986) (retold with mice characters)
The Pied Piper of Hamelin (1987)

Other Books by Mercer Mayer

Here are some other unique books written and/or illustrated by Mercer Mayer.

Terrible Troll (1968)
If I Had (1968)
I Am a Hunter (1969)
A Special Trick (1970)
Mine! (with Marianna Mayer) (1970)
Me and My Flying Machine (1971)
The Queen Always Wanted to Dance (1971)
A Silly Story (1972)
Bubble Bubble (1973)
Mrs. Beggs and the Wizard (1973)
Walk, Robot, Walk (1974)
You're the Scaredy-Cat (1974)
What Do You Do with a Kangaroo? (1974)
The Great Cat Chase: A Wordless Book (1975)
Liza Lou and the Yeller Belly Swamp (1976)
Herbert the Timid Dragon (1980)
Whinnie the Lovesick Dragon (illustrated by Diane Dawson Hearn) (1986)
Mercer Mayer's a Monster Followed Me to School (1991)
Rosie's Mouse (1992)
Shibumi and the Kitemaker (1999)
The Rocking Horse Angel (2000)
The Little Drummer Mouse (2006)
Octopus Soup (a wordless book) (2011)
Too Many Dinosaurs (2011)

Mercer Mayer's Illustrations for Other Authors

Mercer Mayer has also lent his artistic talent to illustrate books written by other authors.

Illustrations for John D. Fitzgerald's Great Brain Series

Mercer Mayer illustrated the original books in The Great Brain series.

The Great Brain (1967)
More Adventures of the Great Brain (1969)
Me and My Little Brain (1971)
The Great Brain at the Academy (1972)
The Great Brain Reforms (1973)
The Return of the Great Brain (1974)
The Great Brain Does it Again (1975)

Mercer Mayer Audio Books and Recordings

You can also enjoy Mercer Mayer's stories through audio! Some books come with recordings of the story, often with music and sound effects.

Little Critter Audio Books

Many Little Critter books were released with audio recordings, often on cassette tapes or records.

Just For You (1984)
Just Me and My Dad
Just Go To Bed (1986)
Just Grandpa and Me (1986)
Just Me and My Babysitter (1986)
When I Get Bigger (1986)
Little Critter's The Night Before Christmas

Other Mercer Mayer Recordings

Mercer Mayer has also released CDs with story songs.

Mercer Mayer Alligator Under My Bed and Other Story Songs CD
The Little Drummer Mouse A Christmas Story CD (Mercer Mayer narrates this one!)

Mercer Mayer Computer Software

Mercer Mayer's stories have also been turned into computer games and CD-Roms, often with animations and extra activities.

Mercer Mayer's Just Grandma and Me (1992)
Mercer Mayer's Little Monster at School (1994)
Mercer Mayer's Just Me and My Dad (1996)
Mercer Mayer's Just Me and My Mom (1996)
The Smelly Mystery Starring Mercer Mayer's Little Monster, Private Eye (1997)
The Mummy Mystery Starring Mercer Mayer's Little Monster, Private Eye (2001)
Mercer Mayer's Little Critter Just Me and My Grandpa (1998)
Mercer Mayer's Little Critter and the Great Race (2001)

Images for kids

Little Monster's Bedtime Book by Mercer Mayer

All content from Kiddle encyclopedia articles (including the article images and facts) can be freely used under Attribution-ShareAlike license, unless stated otherwise. Cite this article:

Mercer Mayer bibliography Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.