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Author Marc Brown stands next to a life-size Arthur, the aardvark star of his children’s books. (Tara Barnwell/AllOtsego.com)

Arthur creator comes to Cooperstown

By TARA BARNWELL • Special to www.AllOTSEGO.com

You would think that a man who writes children’s books about aardvarks named Arthur would be a kind, gentle person. Well, Marc Brown, author of the Arthur series children’s books, is much more than that. If you met him, you’d understand his successful career of over 45 years writing and illustrating, and it all started with him reading bedtime stories to his first-born son.

“One night I was reading my son a story, and an aardvark that became Arthur was created. This became my first book, ‘Arthur’s Nose’”, Brown said while sitting in the Gallery Room at The Fenimore Art Museum where he has an exhibit running through the end of the year, “Believe in Yourself: What We Learned from Arthur.”

“I had always been interested in writing and illustration, and after the college closed where I was a professor, I finally had the time to do what I had always loved!”

Brown started taking Arthur to schools and talked to the kids and found he really enjoyed it. “All of my stories come from real life. The best things happen in real life and are based on real people. That’s why the kids like the stories and illustrations, they can relate.”

“Writing the story is the hardest part. Once that’s done, I plan the book–what pictures go best with the words on the page? That’s when the fun starts with the illustrations! It’s my favorite part.”

“PBS came to me and wanted to turn my books into TV shows to encourage kids to read. Does it get any better than that?” Brown said with enthusiasm. More than 125 books later and many shows on PBS that will continue to be produced and run for many years (by his oldest son), Brown has written his last Arthur book, “Believe in Yourself.” “This last book I wrote to adults and children. It talks about life lessons and it’s a compilation of my books over the years. It’s a bit of a memoir.”

He isn’t retiring, he says, rather he is working on a new series for HBO called HOP (not yet announced to the general public). “I’m excited about HOP. HOP is just a little frog that has one leg shorter than the other, but he doesn’t let that get in his way.” Another life lesson.

Brown also strives to get young people involved, to see if they have a passion for writing and illustrating. “I’m doing a promotion with WSKG, I’m encouraging young people to read. Reading, writing, drawing…it’s all so important. Sharing your ideas are equally important. Everyone has an original point of view. Everyone has a story to tell.”

Go to www.wskg for more information.

Brown resides in New York City but gets most of his writing done at his farmhouse in Martha’s Vineyard.

“It’s peaceful on MV. I can go to my studio and write and relax, life is good!” Indeed. Brown’s parting thoughts of the day: “Every child needs just one person in their lives that believes in them.”

Carry on Mr. Brown, we have all enjoyed the Arthur books and will look forward to HOP for many generations to come.

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