Mike Thaler


Michael Charles Thaler, known as Mike Thaler, is an American author and illustrator of children's books. Thaler has had over 210 books published from 1961 to 2017.

Early life

Thaler was born at Queen of Angels Hospital in Los Angeles, California, United States, the son of Benjamin and Jean Thaler.
Thaler graduated in 1955 from Fairfax High School in Los Angeles, CA. He attended the University of California at Los Angeles and the Art Center College of Design, now located in Pasadena, California, majoring in English and Art.

Career

In November 1960, Thaler wrote and illustrated a Christmas themed cartoon which he submitted to Harper's Bazaar called The Fallen Star. It was published in the December 1960 issue.
In December 1960, Thaler was asked to submit a manuscript for a children's book to Ursula Nordstrom, an editor at Harper and Brothers, after she read The Fallen Star. Nordstrom decided to publish his manuscript, called Magic Boy, in 1961. This was his first published book. Nordstrom selected three of Thaler's manuscripts to publish in 1962 and 1963: The Clown's Smile, Penny Pencil and Moon Boy. All were illustrated by Thaler.

Works

Children's books

For 28 years, from 1961 to 1989, 76 books by Thaler were published, including 37 riddle books illustrated by the author, who was dubbed "America's Riddle King" by the Arizona Republic newspaper.
In 1981, an editor at Avon Books, Jean Feiwel, paired Thaler with Jared Lee to illustrate Thaler's latest manuscript, A Hippopotamus Ate the Teacher. This partnership would eventually produce over 100 books.

Collaborations

Thaler also collaborated with many illustrators, producing the following works:
Between 1971 and 1973, Thaler met with PBS Electric Company Television Animation Director, Edith Zornow, to present an idea for a new series called "The Adventures of Letterman". The show premiered during season two, animated by John and Faith Hubley. It featured a flying superhero in a varsity sweater and a football helmet, who repeatedly foiled the Spell Binder, an evil magician who makes mischief by changing or removing letters to make new words, i.e.HEELS became WHEELS. The Letterman segments, featured the voices of Zero Mostel, Joan Rivers and Gene Wilder. Thaler wrote the scripts for the first two seasons; twenty episodes in total.

Jell-O Reading Rocket

In 1989, Thaler was chosen to launch the Jell-O Reading Rocket in Lansing, Michigan This program was sponsored by General Foods USA and Jell-O Desserts. He visited elementary schools throughout the country as one of the authors for the Jello Reading Rocket program for one year.

''The Black Lagoon'' series

In 1989, a picture book called The Teacher From the Black Lagoon™, written by Thaler and illustrated by Jared Lee, was published by Dodd, Mead & Company, Little Brown & Company, and Scholastic.
From 1989–2007, The Black Lagoon™ picture book series adds 20 more titles, with 3 of the titles receiving International Reading Children's Choice Awards: The Cafeteria Lady, The Music Teacher & The Custodian.
In 2002, Scholastic released the first Black Lagoon™ Chapter book, The Class Trip from the Black Lagoon.
Between 2002 and 2017, The Black Lagoon™ chapter book series grew to include 33 books.
Between 2015 and 2017, a Black Lagoon™ special edition series called Hubie Cool released 3 new books.

Other book series

The Bully Brothers: 1993–96 Thaler wrote a 4 book series called The Bully Brothers. In 1995, it received the IRA Children's Choice Award 1995. All 4 were illustrated by Jared Lee.
Happily Ever After: In 1997 Thaler wrote a series called Happily Ever After. The four fractured fairy tales, illustrated by Jared Lee, won the 1998 International Reading Association
Cincinnati Enquirer commentator, Sara Pearce, dubs Thaler and Jared Lee "The court jesters of children's literature".
Heaven and Mirth: Thaler worked with illustrator Dennis Adler on a ten book series called Heaven and Mirth published by Cook Communications Ministries.
Tales From the Back Pew: Zondervan Publishing releases a 10 book series called Tales from the Back Pew written by Thaler and illustrated by Jared Lee.

Animated books

Produced by Weston Woods.
Awards by American Library Association
Notable Children's Videos
The Riddle King Tells His Favorite Riddles, Jokes, Stories, and Songs with Steve Charney, Caedmon, 1985.
The Riddle King's Riddle Song: Scholastic Songs with Steve Charney, Scholastic, 1987.
Other cassette recordings include These Are the Questions, My Blanket Is the Sky, and Sing Me a Rainbow.

ISBN list of all books

Harpers Bazaar Magazine Dec 1960
December, 1960 issue of Harper's Magazine.
Ursula Nordstrom
Letterman Television show Library Journal volume 101 pg 1848
Electric Co. & Joan Rivers
. ISBN listing of books published
Books published ISBN registry
Press Release: Lenora Kaplan/Lynn Cariou of M. Booth & Associates 225 W 34th St., New York, NY confirming Mike chosen to launch the Jell-o Reading Rocket program in Lansing.
cc- letter received from Louise Botko, language arts consultant, Minneapolis public schools, 807 NE Broadway, Minneapolis, MN on April 21, 1989 to Gerry Bogatz, Jell-O Reading Rocket, 10 N Main St. Yardley, PA regarding March 23, 1989 visit to school by Mike Thaler.
cc from Gloria Goldberg, Chapter 1 Reading Specialist 27th St School, Milwaukee, WI writes hand written 4 page letter complimenting Mike's visit to Jello Reading Coordinators.
Jared Lee
Jared Lee
A Hippopotamus Ate the Teacher published by Scholastic 1981
Cincinnati Enquirer, March 18, 1997, Sara Pearce, review of titles in the "Happily Ever After" series, p. C5.
BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:
PERIODICALS
Booklist, March 15, 1977, p. 1008; June 1, 1988, Beth Ames Herbert, review of In the Middle of the Puddle, pp. 1679–1680; September 15, 1990, p. 173; April 1, 1991, p. 1578.
Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, January, 1979, p. 90; July-August, 1982, Zena Sutherland, review of Owly, p. 216.
Junior Bookshelf, February, 1978, p. 15.
Kirkus Reviews, February 1, 1979, p. 131.
Publishers Weekly, January 27, 1975, p. 285; December 2, 1983, review of It's Me, Hippo!, p. 86; March 8, 1993, p. 77; September 20, 1993, p. 30.
School Library Journal, December, 1975, p. 49; April, 1977, p. 72; May, 1978, p. 82; March, 1979, p. 122; November, 1981, p. 83;
September, 1982, p. 112; December, 1983, p. 80; December, 1988, p. 94; August, 1991, p. 156; November, 1991, p. 107.
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