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Todd Parr is a three-time New York Times bestselling author and illustrator of more than 50 books for children, including The Thankful Book, The Earth Book and The I LOVE YOU Book, as well as The Kindness Book and the recently released The Spring Book and The Activity Book, all from Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. He has inspired and empowered children around the world with simple, hopeful and powerful messages such as “be kind”, “love yourself” and “be who you are” all set with vibrant images utilizing eye-catching primary colors. His books have received numerous awards and are available in nearly 20 languages. He also is the co-creator of the popular three-time Daytime Emmy©- nominated animated TV series, ToddWorld with Gerry Renert of SupperTime Entertainment. Several short films for Sesame Street have been based on Todd’s work.

A flight attendant before becoming a full-time author/illustrator, Todd’s first book, The Okay Book, was published in 1999. Todd devotes time to numerous philanthropic causes supporting pet adoption, children’s hunger, health, and literacy. He is a frequent reader and fund-raiser for The Ronald McDonald House, and he also currently serves on the board of directors for the Virginia Children’s Book Festival. Todd’s corporate collaborations include Best Buy, Stouffer’s, and the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank, among others.

The Wyoming native lives in Berkeley, CA, with his three adopted pit bulls and enjoys cooking. He is often whipping up macaroni & cheese, tacos, and grilled cheese recipes, which he regularly shares with fans. For more information on Todd visit his Facebook or Instagram.

Todd actively supports multiple charities and organizations like the San Francisco Marin Food Bank. Todd currently serves on the board of directors for the Virginia Children’s Book Festival.

You can read more about who and what Todd supports here!

WHY DON'T YOU USE PUNCTUATION IN SOME OF YOUR BOOKS?

I started out as an artist. I painted large canvases with messages at the top. I never used punctuation in my original artwork so I didn't think I needed to use it when I first started writing and illustrating children's books. I was wrong. I realized I was setting a bad example. Now I make sure all of my books have the correct spelling and use punctuation in all of my books. But I do make a lot of mistakes, and that's how I learn. Love, Todd

Teachers, does your class have a question for Todd?
You can send him an e-mail from the form on the contact page!

Here's a few of the questions Todd receives:

Where does Todd live?
Where did Todd get his dog from?
I wonder why he loves mac and cheese?
I wonder why his favorite color is blue?
I wonder where he gets his dog food?
I wonder where Todd gets his groceries?
What is his mom's name?
I wonder if Todd has a brother?
I wonder if Todd has a baby sister?

*Bully was in some of my very first books.

Todd loves animals, especially dogs. He currently has three pit bulls names Pete, Tater Tot and Jer-Jer. They are all adopted from Berkeley Animal Care and Rescue in Berkeley, CA. Todd is especially fond of the pit bull breed because so many need good homes. Like with any animal, you have to be educated and responsible about the animal. Pit bulls are very loyal dogs that just want to be loved. Not everyone can adopt an animal, but there are lots of ways to help.

Here are some places that you can donate to:
ASPCA

The Best Friends Animal Society (Instagram)

The American Pitbull Foundation

Follow Todd on Instagram!