john stadler

This was my first book, a very easy reader. It was sold and published while I was still working at the old E.P. Dutton in the Guardian Building on 17th Street in New York City. Ann Durrell was the editor there. She really knew her stuff. I was lucky to have the opportunity to work with her.

The book was originally painted in black and white. Some years later, I did it all over in full-color for the reissue. I vaguely remember drawing and painting the original cover directly after having my wisdom teeth pulled.

*AN IRA/CBC CHILDREN'S CHOICE BOOK

*An excerpt from:
THE LITERATURE OF DELIGHT:
A Critical Guide to Humerous Books for Children
By Kimberly Olsen Fakih;

"This easy reader by an established comedian in the field of children's books uses a limited, rhythmic text and complementary illustrations to make its point: it's fun to learn to read. Children will be delighted as the visual clues and words combine to help them to read, perhaps for the first time. Stadler is a good name to know; children will seek out his other books for their boisterous good humor."

"Rhyme and humorous illustrations by author John Stadler relieve the almost inevitable boredom of the very early reader. A collection of zany animals in "Cat at Bat" will surely bring a smile as beginners work through one of their first read-alones."
*School Library Journal*

"This could be the first "reader" to hand to a child; it will probably stay in his hand for a long time."
*ALA Booklist (1979)*

"The spare text and ultra-basic vocabulary make this especially useful for preschoolers who are picking up reading skills early as well as for school-age children who are just learning to decode words."
*ALA Booklist (1998)*

"The three-line rhymes that appear opposite each drawing in this amusing, easy-to-read book are simple enough to be imitated and made into a game: "A cub/is in a tub/for a scrub"; "A fish/on a dish/has a wish." John Stadler has had elaborate fun illustrating them: The bear cub has on scuba-diving gear; a tiny goldfish swims by inside his mask as a toy boat at the far end of the tub, its smokestacks roaring, is about to go under. The very young will enjoy sharpening their wits on the obviously silly incongruities and exaggerations - especially when, as the artist has arranged matters, much that is out of whack is also hard to spot."
*Parenting Magazine*

"This book is to be read. Good illustrations and the emphasis is on reading rather than decoding. It is fun and any small child can handle it."
*San Mateo Times*

"A very clever book that introduces the child to similar sounds ( "A duck and his truck are stuck." ) Very good illustrations, a must for those beginning to read."
*Worcester Telegram*

"It should be a favorite of very small children and those just learning to read. This is an excellent book for any library, or it would make a fine gift."
*Provident Book Finder*

"A super book for every young reader."
*The George G. Stone Center for Children's Books*