Childrens+Books+by+John+Lithgow

=**John Lithgow (b. October 19, 1945)**= toc

American actor, musician, and author



"Writing a children's book was not something that I pursued. It pursued me. It started when I was asked to write a narration for a symphony for kids. I realized that it had the text for a book. From that text "The Remarkable Farkle McBride" was born. And once the first book was successful, others followed. My sixth (!) children's book, "Marsupial Sue Presents the Runaway Pancake," was just published this fall. This is a sequel to "Marsupial Sue," one of my most popular storybook characters.This story was inspired in part by two different things: The "Runaway Pancake" song is a guaranteed show stopper whenever I sing it in one of my Paloozicals Concert for Kids, and my performing on Broadway this year in "Dirty Rotton Scoundrels" made me think that Sue might like to put on a show of her own with all of her animal friends. I credit my parents for fostering my love of literature and books. I have fond memories of my father reading chapters aloud from great thick books like "The Jungle Book" and "A Teller of Tales". I have carried on my father's tradition by reading aloud to my own kids when they were little. I have also started a few traditions of my own, like singing to them and playing really mediocre guitar, building castles with them out of refrigerator boxes and treasure hunts across museums. Once I even created a very elaborate paper chase across the entire campus of UCLA for my daughter Phoebe's 16th Birthday. Some of these games were inspiration for all of the Lithgow Palooza books and books with kits that have been published by both [|Simon and Schuster]and Running Press. Although writing is an arduous process for me, there is nothing better than seeing a child falling in love with one of my stories." - -[|John Lithgow] [|, Amazon.com]

Books
"In his first book, actor and musician John Lithgow introduces a memorable character, a fickle yet lovable child prodigy who brings the sounds and rhythms of an orchestra to sprawling visual life. With a double gatefold showing the entire orchestra, this is the ultimate book for the music lover in all of us." --Simon & Schuster
 * //Remarkable Farkle Mcbride//** (2000, [|Simon & Schuster])

"The story is actually a song that Lithgow performs in his children’s concerts, and a CD of Lithgow singing Sue’s story is included, along with the musical score. The oversized format, double-page spreads, and professional, witty CD make this a natural for reading aloud (and singing along) with a group." --[|Kirkus Reviews]
 * //Marsupial Sue//** (2001, [|Simon & Schuster])

"In a tighter, more linear text than //Farkle//, Lithgow conveys the sense of discovery and emotional enjoyment one can experience while observing or creating art. The vast majority of lines here have a musical rhythm, though young readers may need to puzzle out the meaning of words like "peregrination." Payne's mixed-media compositions capture an area of Manhattan at its clean, sunny best. His varying perspectives and occasionally paint-splattered backgrounds embrace all the exhilaration of Lithgow's words." --[|Publisher's Weekly]
 * //Micawber//** (2002, [|Simon & Schuster])

"Sophisticated and silly at the same time, Lithgow’s verse will keep kids on their toes. Meanwhile, Hoyt’s colored pencils, pen, and ink spreads overflow with humorous aquatic activity. Words and music are included, as is a sing-along CD. Pure fun." --[|Kirkus Reviews]
 * //I'm a Manatee//** (2003, [|Simon & Schuster])

"Grouped according to interests and themes -- like art, drama, music, vacations, and birthdays -- and incorporating lots of extrapaloozas, fun facts for parent and child, and suggested additional reading for all ages, John's paloozas range from adopting your own soup can for a day to inventing your own secret language to establishing left-handed day or creating a self-portrait. //A Lithgow Palooza!// is an utterly unique collection of original activities guaranteed to transform any household from bored to bubbling with fun." --[|Simon & Schuster]
 * //A Lithgow Palooza//** (2004, [|Simon & Schuster])

"John Lithgow's exhilarating word play, inspired by Camille Saint-SaËns's 1886 composition, provides a narrative arc to the piece for the first time. Lithgow created the text for the New York City Ballet, where the //Carnival of the Animals// ballet, with his narration, debuted in 2003. Boris Kulikov's witty artistic interpretation of the story adds to the fun." -- [|Simon & Schuster]
 * //Carnival of the Animals//** (2004, [|Simon & Schuster])

"This follow-up to the author's well-received //A Lithgow Palooza! 101 Ways to Entertain and Inspire Your Kids// (2004) is all about parties, either prearranged or spur of the moment. Organized by month, the events happen both outdoors and indoors, including a very creative snow-day event (January), tracking the Iditarod online (March), Popsicle making (June), a "blueberry blowout" (August), backyard exploration (November), pet pix a la William Wegman (December), and 46 more." --[|Booklist]
 * //Lithgow Party Paloozas!: 52 Unexpected Ways to Make a Birthday, Holiday, or Any Day a Celebration for Kids//** (2005, [|Simon & Schuster])

"Kids who enjoyed Marsupial Sue's debut (//Marsupial Sue//, 2001) will giggle and applaud this encore, even though the rhyme doesn't always roll easily off the tongue and the wacky illustrations are so frenzied at times, it's a little hard to sort out the action. John Lithgow hams it up wonderfully on the accompanying CD." --[|Booklist]
 * //Marsupial Sue Presents "The Runaway Pancake"//** (2005, [|Simon & Schuster])

"This sophisticated story is part of Lithgow's commencement speech to Harvard's class of 2005. Rhyming verses introduce Mahalia, a mouse who leaves her impoverished family behind to search for food. She finds herself interested in a science course after accidentally ending up in a Harvard classroom in a student's backpack. Her diligence and intelligence win the professor's support, and she goes on to complete four years of study. She graduates, thus ending this story of stout self-reliance;/An epic account on a miniature scale/Of a mouse who set forth on life's bumpy trail/And succeeded by simply refusing to fail...The accompanying CD is a live recording of the story from the commencement ceremony, and it is a joy to listen to Lithgow's musical cadence and hear the audience's reactions to this presentation." -- [|School Library Journal]
 * //Mahalia Mouse Goes to College//** (2007, [|Simon & Schuster])

"This musical ode to two prized pooches packs a crowd-pleasing wallop...Neubecker's large, vibrant paintings perfectly capture the frenetic world of dog ownership...Sure to entice youngsters, this book will find a welcome home in storytime and circulating collections." -- [|School Library Journal]
 * //I Got Two Dogs//** (2008, [|Simon & Schuster])

Interview
Interview on CBS with John Lithgow about his book "I've Got Two Dogs" media type="youtube" key="2dre3yaq6gY" height="315" width="420"