Born:Brooklyn, New York,
United States Of America
Laura Numeroff
Biography
If You Give An Author a Pencil...
By the time I was nine years old, I loved to write and tell stories and knew someday I would be an author. But when I was fifteen, I decided I wanted to be a designer, just like my big sister, Emily. I went to Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York to study fashion design. But after my first year of college, I realized it wasn't my cup of tea. So, I took classes in illustration, animation, photography . . . and a class called “Writing and Illustration Children's Books” with Barbara Bottner.
. . . She's Going To Need Some Paper To Write On . . .
In that class, we had a homework assignment to write and illustrate our own children's book. I ended up selling my homework, and Amy For Short was published by Macmillan in 1975, just before I graduated.
That's when I realized that writing for children combined my three favorite things to do: writing stories, drawing, and reading!
. . . And A Library Card.
I am and have always been an avid reader.
I was thrilled when they told me I could take home any six books! I would lie on my bed and read for hours. Then as soon as I finished the six books, I went back to the library for more. Two of my favorite books were Stuart Little, about a mouse in New York, and Eloise, about a little girl in New York. Now I love biographies, nonfiction, and stories dealing with travel.
If You Give a Mouse a Cookie was the tenth book I wrote. The idea came to me on a long, boring car trip.
I don't know about you, but I get silly when I get bored.
On the way from San Francisco to Oregon in the car, I tried to make my friend laugh by telling a story about a mouse nibbling on a cookie. “He'd want some milk to go with it. And then he'd probably need a straw. Then he'd want a napkin . . ." and by the time we reached Oregon, I had told the whole story!
If You Give a Mouse a Cookie was turned down nine times — but my motto is “never give up.” I continued to submit it to publishers until it found a home at Harper.
Now, I visit classrooms all over the country and read If You Give a Mouse a Cookie. For fun, I'll warn them that I may make a mistake while I'm reading and I hope they can catch it. Then I'll say something like “If you give a mouse a cookie, he's going to want a banana.” You should hear the shouts of protest go up. There's also a dance I made up to the song “Doin' the Mouse Cookie” which I teach the kids.
It's fun to see kids growing up with Mouse, Moose, and Pig. And so many exciting things are happening with these characters — they even have Hollywood knocking at the door.
If You Give A Writer a Day Off . . .
I'm a film freak; one year I saw seventy-two movies. I enjoy exploring California (where I live) and get a kick from just driving through the country and watching cows (I spent twenty-five years in New York City). To supplement my income when I first started out, I had such odd jobs as running a merry-go-round and doing private investigation.
My work is my life. I can draw no distinction between the words “work” and “spare time.” I love what I'm doing. I'd eventually like to write screenplays and adult fiction, but I'll always have a first love for children's books. I hope to be writing until my last days.
- Scholastic Store
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Jellybeans & the Big Book Bonanza
The Scholastic Store 
Jellybeans & the Big Book Bonanza
by Laura Numeroff and Lynn MunsingerThe Jellybeans are back-this time in the library stacks to discover the varied and wonderful world of reading. When the Jellybeans go to the library to do research for book reports on the things they enjoy, Bitsy, who loves books more than anyone, is excited to bring her friends to her favorite place. Emily, who loves to dance, finds a book on ballet, Nicole, who loves sports, finds a book on soccer, and Anna, who loves art, finds a book on famous painters. But what about Bitsy? Can she find the perfect book, too? This energizing book promotes a love of reading by proving that there is the perfect book for everyone. Just as jellybeans are all different flavors but go great together, the girls again use their different strengths and talents to work as a team and make their school Book Bonanza a success.
$15.95
books;hardcover books | Ages 4-8
Ages 4-8 $15.95
- Teacher Store
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Si le das una galletita a un ratón
The Teacher Store 
Si le das una galletita a un ratón
by Laura Joffe Numeroff and Felicia BondLaura Numeroff's tales of warped logic are sure-fire winners in the giggle-generator category. But concerned parents can rest assured, there's even a little education thrown in for good measure: underneath the folly rest valuable lessons about cause and effect. Felicia Bond's hilarious pictures are full of subtle, fun details.
$5.95
Paperback Book | Grades K-2
Grades K-2 $5.95
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