The International Directory

                      of Published Authors and Illustrators of Books

                     for Children and Young Adults.

Find artists and writers to present at your school, library, bookstore, conference or other venue!

 

Contact

Brian P. Cleary

16505 Southland Ave.

Cleveland, OH 44111

Phone (216) 548-4100

Email: BabeRuth60@aol.com

Brian P. Cleary

Author

 

International and National Awards of Recognition:

The Children's Choice

ABA Kids' Pick of the List

ABA Kids' Pick of the List

Benjamin Franklin Award (First Place)

Society of School Librarians International Book Awards, Honor Book

Something tells me you’re looking for children’s authors who visit schools. Well, guess what? I’m a children’s author who visits schools. You may be looking for an author who does school presentations. That’d be me. A children’s poet? You know it! Or maybe you want a children’s author who does writing workshops. Wow–me again! Or someone who does in-service staff professional development. It’s like you read my resume! School author visit guy, keynote speaker for conferences and spreader of great language arts lesson plans–that’s me!  Allow this bow-tie wearing children’s author to introduce himself.

A frustrated student and reluctant learner, Brian Cleary daydreamed his way from class to class until being introduced to poetry in third grade. Ogden Nash, e. e. cummings, Lennon, McCartney—even the bawdy musical lyrics in the Marx Brothers' comedies—set him on a course to explore and celebrate the wonder of words. Ironically, he is now found back in the classroom and he’s shared his love of our rich language with 80,000 students in 4 states.

He has written cartoon gags which have appeared in more than 600 newspapers worldwide, has written humor essays for national and local magazines and newspapers and has had an award winning children's book read on Minnesota Public Radio. Since graduating from John Carroll University with a degree in communications in 1982, he has worked in one of the 5 largest creative divisions in the world, American Greetings, where he currently holds the title of Senior Editor on the Humor Staff. He has worked on licensed properties from Garfield, to Ziggy, to Nickelodeon characters. You can now find him on Facebook!

 

Presentations

Description of school visit, fees: I’ve visited schools in 40 states, plus Europe, and have appeared before more than 85,000 students. I have books for all grades K-8 (50 titles).  I have also given teacher in-service presentations (typically about an hour). My school visits typically take some form of the following, but can often be adjusted depending on your school’s needs.

• LARGE GROUP PRESENTATION—45 MINUTES FOR HALF THE SCHOOL

• LARGE GROUP PRESENTATION—45 MINUTES FOR HALF THE SCHOOL

• 30-MINUTE SMALLER GROUP— WORKSHOP (FEWER THAN 50 STUDENTS)

• LUNCH WITH STAFF OR STUDENTS OR COMBINATION

• 30-MINUTE SMALLER GROUP WORKSHOP (FEWER THAN 50 STUDENTS)

• 30-MINUTE SMALLER GROUP WORKSHOP (FEWER THAN 50 STUDENTS)

Presentations are gatherings in large auditoriums or gymnasiums in which I do nearly all the talking. I’m standing up, the students are sitting down and I walk students through what I read when I was their age, when I started writing, the importance of influences, and who mine were as a child (Ogden Nash, E.E. Cummings, Shel Silverstein, Muhammad Ali, Mad Magazine). Presentations are typically about 45 minutes for older kids and 35 minutes for younger kids.

Workshops are only 30 minutes in length for (ideally) fewer than 50 students. I have workshops for every grade except kindergartners (who, of course, attend the large group presentation).  Some examples of workshops going from lower grades to higher grades: Making a paper noun quilt, the “verb train” game, the rhyming pairs of nouns contest, anagrams game, the word well, acrostics poetry, personification and sensory poem writing.

In-services for teachers are also available. Here I usually share the lesson plans I’ve had the most luck with and how I’ve gotten the best writing from students. Lots of free lesson plan-type stuff can be found here: www.brianpcleary.com

Books are available through my publisher, Lerner Publishing Group (ask for Colleen in Customer Service: 1-800-328-4929). They carry hardcovers of all books and paperbacks of many titles. All have an author visit discount (40 percent for the hardcover, and I believe 25 percent for paperback).

Fees are $950 within 60 miles of my home in Cleveland. Out of town, it’s $1,350 per day plus travel expenses.

Thanks for thinking of me!

Brian P. Cleary

 

Check out Brian's website for more information about setting up a school visit.

Breezier, Cheesier, Newest, and Bluest: What Are Comparatives and Superlatives?

(Words Are Categorical) [Hardcover] by Brian P. Cleary (Author), Brian Gable (Illustrator) Hardcover: 32 pages. Publisher: Millbrook Press (March 1, 2013). ISBN-10: 0761353623 ISBN-13: 978-0761353621

Cool! Whoa! Ah and Oh!: What Is an Interjection?

(Words Are Categorical) [School & Library Binding] by Brian P. Cleary (Author), Brian Gable (Illustrator) Reading level: Ages 6 and up School Library Binding: 32 pages. Publisher: Millbrook Pr (T) (March 2011). ISBN-10: 1580135943 ISBN-13: 978-1580135948

What is an interjection? Oh, my! You'll find the answer inside this book–it's packed with interjections. Dear me! Brian P. Cleary's playful rhymes and Brian Gable's humorous illustrations creatively clarify the concept of interjections for young readers. Indeed! Interjections appear in color for easy identification, and comical cats reinforce each idea. Wow! Cool! Whoa! Ah and Oh!: What Is an Interjection? turns traditional grammar lessons on end. Read this book aloud and share in the delight of the sense–and nonsense–of words.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist ... Throughout, the level of Cleary's inventive verbal humor is greatly magnified by Gable's madcap drawings of dressed animals dramatizing the sentences with cartoon-style exaggeration.  Grades 2-4. —Carolyn Phelan

I and You and Don't Forget Who: What Is a Pronoun

Brian P. Cleary, Brian Gable (Illustrator) School & Library Binding: 32 pages. Publisher: Carolrhoda Books; (February 2004). ISBN: 1575055961

Published Books

You Oughta Know By Now

by Brian P. Cleary (Author) Hardcover: 96 pages. Publisher: Running Press (March 30, 2010). ISBN-10: 0762437928 ISBN-13: 978-0762437924

Think you know everything? Think again! For most of us, adulthood is the (incorrect!) notion that we know everything there is to know by the time we’ve said good-bye to our teenage years. This collection is here to prove you wrong.

Packed with 100 bites of humorous wisdom on kids, money, sex, love and everything in between, this perfectly sized pick-me-up will remind you that there is still a lot to be learned in this world. Guaranteed to leave you in hysterics!

The Punctuation Station

Brian P. Cleary, illustrated by Joanne Lew-Vriethoff, Reading level: Ages 9-12 Library Binding: 37 pages. Publisher: Millbrook Press (April 2010).  ISBN-10: 0822578522 ISBN-13: 978-0822578529

All aboard! Join a family of giraffes on their journey to Punctuation Station. As the train chugs along, you’ll learn the ins and outs of using periods, commas, apostrophes, question marks, hyphens, quotation marks and exclamation points! Playful rhymes from Brian P. Cleary and colorful illustrations from Joanne Lew-Vriethoff make learning about punctuation fun. So hop on board—this is one train ride you don’t want to miss!

Mrs. Riley Bought Five Itchy Aardvarks and Other Painless Tricks for Memorizing Science Facts (Adventures in Memory)

Reading level: Ages 9-12 Library Binding: 48 pages. Publisher: Millbrook Press (October 2008). ISBN-10: 0822578190 ISBN-13: 978-0822578192

With so many things to remember and so little time, what's a kid to do? Brian P. Cleary has come up with a whole book of tips for how to tackle tricky science facts. This book is bursting with mnemonic devices, poems, songs and more. Need to keep track of the order of the planets? Mel can help. As in: Mel's Very Excited Ma Just Served Us Nachos. How about photosynthesis? Sing a song about it to the tune of "Row, Row, Row Your Boat"! Brian also explains how kids can use the ideas in the book to create their very own memory tricks.

The Bug in the Jug Wants a Hug: A Short Vowel Sounds Book

Brian P. Cleary (Author), Jason Miskimins (Illustrator) Reading level: Ages 9-12. Library Binding: 32 pages. Publisher: Millbrook Press (April 2009). ISBN-10: 0761395032 ISBN-13: 978-0761395034

The Frail Snail on the Trail: A Long Vowel Sounds Book With Consonant Blends

Brian P. Cleary (Author), Jason Miskimins (Illustrator), Alice M. Maday (Contributor) Reading level: Ages 4-8, Library Binding: 30 pages Publisher: Millbrook Press (April 2009). ISBN-10: 0822576384 ISBN-13: 978-0822576389

The Peaches on the Beaches: A Book About Inflectional Endings

Brian P. Cleary (Author), Jason Miskimins (Illustrator), Alice M. Maday (Contributor) Reading level: Ages 9-12,  Library Binding: 30 pages Publisher: Millbrook Press (April 2009). ISBN-10: 0822576368 ISBN-13: 978-0822576365

Whose Shoes Would You Choose?: A Long Vowel Sounds Book With Consonant Digraphs

Brian P. Cleary (Author), Jason Miskimins (Illustrator) Reading level: Ages 4-8, Library Binding: 30 pages Publisher: Millbrook Press (April 2009). ISBN-10: 0822576406 ISBN-13: 978-0822576402

Math Is Categorical

The Action of Subtraction

by Brian P. Cleary (Author), Brian Gable (Illustrator) Reading level: Ages 4-8, Paperback: 32 pages Publisher: First Avenue Editions (September 2008). ISBN-10: 1580138438 ISBN-13: 978-1580138437

Brian P. Cleary and Brian Gable—author and illustrator of the best-selling Words Are CATegorical series—bring their trademark sense of humor to the subject of subtraction, proving that sometimes, less is really more. The comical cats show young readers the basic concept of taking one number away from another. Funny illustrations and examples make learning to subtract as easy as 3, 2, 1!

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal: The author has used the format of his popular Words Are CATegorical books (Millbrook) to look at mathematical functions. Subtraction is explained in rhyming text and simple, silly cartoons with excellent examples that range from angry bulldogs, hornets and bowling pins to pieces of birthday cake, sports time-outs and stuffed animals. The text is actually a rap that would be fun for students to memorize and perform. —Erlene Bishop Killeen, Fox Prairie Elementary School, Stoughton, WI (Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

On the Scale, a Weighty Tale (Math Is Categorical)

by Brian P. Cleary (Author), Brian Gable (Illustrator) Reading level: Ages 4-8, Library Binding: 32 pages Publisher: Lerner Publishing Group (September 2008). ISBN-10: 0822578514 ISBN-13: 978-0822578512

In this wacky look at weight, Brian P. Cleary and Brian Gable introduce essential measurement units, from grams to pounds to tons. The comical cats of the wildly popular Words Are CATegorical series show how to measure trucks, trains, ducks, cranes and more. Peppy rhymes, goofy illustrations, and kid-friendly examples make light work of this heavy topic.

Editorial Reviews

From Kirkus Reviews –  In rousing rhyme, this addition to the Math is CATegorical series explores weight measurement. ...the clear and humorous examples drawn from life enable kids to understand easily and then apply the information. For those just beginning the numbers adventure, this one tips the scale.

Words Are Categorical Series

Straight and Curvy, Meek and Nervy: More About Antonyms

Brian P. Cleary (Author), Brian Gable (Illustrator). Reading level: Ages 4-8, Library Binding: 32 pages. Publisher: Millbrook Press (March 2009). ISBN-10: 0822578786 ISBN-13: 978-0822578789

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist Fans of Cleary’s Words Are CATegorical series can enjoy another round of antonyms in this amusing look at opposites, a companion book to Stop and Go, Yes and No: What Is an Antonym? (2006). Wild colors and zany, attired animal characters ramp up the humor and the fun in this useful introduction to antonyms. The rhyming, rhythmic text lopes along, succinctly explaining what an antonym is and following up with plenty of clear examples, made not just palatable but actually amusing in the cartoon-like illustrations. One section here shows how adding certain prefixes to words can create antonyms such as pronounce/mispronounce, logical/illogical and equalities/inequalities. The language-arts curriculum connection makes this a natural choice for school libraries, but the book’s quick-paced writing and visual zip extend its appeal way beyond that of most grammar books. —Carolyn Phelan

Stroll and Walk, Babble and Talk: More About Synonyms

Reading level: Ages 4-8, Library Binding: 32 pages Publisher: Millbrook Press (October 2008). ISBN-10: 0822578506 ISBN-13: 978-0822578505

What is a synonym? It's hard to explain but easy to show and that's just what this book does, in rhyming, comical verse that will have readers giggling as they learn. Cartoon cats guide readers through the tricks of words that are practically, nearly the same in this lighthearted celebration of language.

A Lime, a Mime, a Pool of Slime: More About Nouns

Brian P. Cleary (Author), Brian Gable (Illustrator) Reading level: Ages 4-8, Paperback: 32 pages Publisher: First Avenue Editions (September 2008). ISBN-10: 1580139345 ISBN-13: 978-1580139342

One book couldn't possibly be enough to cover the topic of nouns. The cats are back with their comical examples to drive home to readers just what a noun is. Specific types of nouns, such as abstract nouns and proper nouns, are also introduced in this giggle-a-page expansion on the topic.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal This title presents students with yet more rhymed and seemingly random nouns than those in Cleary's A Mink, a Fink, a Skating Rink: What Is a Noun? (Carlhoada, 1999). Each spread contains a playful sentence elaborating on the topic, with each noun highlighted in a bright color. Friend is a noun,/and so is your dad,/ice cream/and bagels/and Boston/and Brad. Gable's loose watercolor cartoons depict each noun (as well as the series' signature big-nosed cats, of course). —Jayne Damron, Farmington Community Library, MI Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist "Recommended as an antidote to snooze-producing grammar texts."

Lazily, Crazily, Just a Bit Nasally: More About Adverbs

Brian P. Cleary (Author), Brian Gable (Illustrator) Reading level: Ages 4-8, Hardcover: 32 pages Publisher: Millbrook Press (February 10, 2008). ISBN-10: 0822578484 ISBN-13: 978-0822578482

One book is never enough to explore the incredibly wide range of adverbs! The goofy cats crazily deliver loads of additional examples to entertainingly illustrate the power of adverbs, including phrasal adverbs. Brian P. Cleary's playful verse and Brian Gable's comical cats magically turn traditional grammar lessons on end. Each adverb is cleverly color coded to help readers identify adverbs of manner, adverbs of time and more. Read this book aloud and share the delight of the sense and nonsense of words.

Editorial Reviews

School Library Journal – The CATegorical cats are back. A professorial feline opens this offbeat lecture with a definition of adverbs and a color-coded guide to the types found throughout the book. Readers are then drawn into another of Cleary's signature rhyming narratives, which tumbles across each page verbally and visually. —Jayne Damron, Farmington Community Library, MI

Stop and Go, Yes and No: What Is an Antonym?

Brian P. Cleary Reading level: Ages 9-12, Library Binding Publisher: Millbrook Press (May, 2006). ISBN: 157505860X

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal – Cleary describes and illustrates antonyms from the obvious stop and go, yes and no, front and back, fast and slow, to the more obscure: excite and soothe, hefty and diminutive. He elaborates on reasons for celebrating opposites and also describes how to create them through the use of powerful prefixes. —Kathleen Meulen, Blakely Elementary School, Bainbridge Island, WA. (Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The Mission of Addition (Math Is Categorical)

by Brian P. Cleary, Brian Gable (Illustrator). Reading level: Ages 4-8, Library Binding: 32 pages. Publisher: Millbrook Press (June 1, 2005). ISBN: 1575058596

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal – The team behind the Words Are CATegorical series (Carolrhoda) offers the first in a series about math. Through playful rhymes, the book explains basic concepts. —Barbara Auerbach, New York City Public Schools, (Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

How Much Can A Bare Bear Bear?: What Are Homonyms And Homophones?

Brian P. Cleary, Brian Gable (Illustrator). Reading level: Ages 4-8, Library Binding: 32 pages Publisher: Millbrook Press (September 1, 2005). ISBN: 1575058243

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal  Through rhyming wordplay, Cleary explains two parts of speech that are often difficult to understand. ... he tackles homonyms and homophones...Another fun and effective introduction to the world of grammar. —Maura Bresnahan, High Plain Elementary School, Andover, MA. (Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Pitch And Throw, Grasp And Know: What Is A Synonym?

Brian P. Cleary, Brian Gable (Illustrator) Reading level: Ages 4-8, Library Binding: 32 pages Publisher: Carolrhoda Books (November 1, 2004). ISBN: 1575057964

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal – With their comical cartoon characters and Seussian rhymes, Cleary and Gable have already claimed their niche for providing grammar instruction in a clear, lighthearted manner. Useful for introductory lessons on the topic, this book will help teachers to model better writing and to demonstrate the value of an expanded vocabulary. ... While students may still struggle to come up with more original word choices of their own, this excellent text goes a long way toward establishing the importance of synonyms.–Gloria Koster, West School, New Canaan, CT

From Booklist – ...With the slapstick art enlivening things ...this will be a fun read-aloud, and kids will certainly get the message that words are not boring. —Hazel Rochman (Copyright American Library Association. All rights reserved.)