Scott Menchin is the author-illustrator of
Taking a Bath with the Dog and Other Things that Make Me Happy, which received the Christopher Medal. He also illustrated
Song of Middle C by Alison McGhee and
Man Gave Names to All the Animals, an award-winning children’s book based on a hit song by Bob Dylan. Scott Menchin lives in New York City.
I was raised by a band of wild gypsies who played music day and night but didn’t know how to read or write. I taught myself how to read so I could read menus. I love restaurants. And I taught myself how to write so I could make books. I learned how to draw when my gypsy family visited a museum and left me there. I ate leftover french fries and slept in the broom closet at night and copied my favorite paintings during the day. I lived in the museum until I was old enough to make children’s books and buy a real house. My only hobby is seeing how long I can go without blinking.
I have worked on books about happiness, legs, bunnies, chickens, dogs, lots of dogs, but I still haven’t done any books about witches, vegetables, or badly behaved children. I still have time.
Three Things You Might Not Know About Me:
1. I cannot sleep with my socks on.
2. I hate cottage cheese.
3. I love music but I’m a terrible musician. (I think that’s why my gypsy family left me at the museum.)
