SATA

PERSONAL

Born July 9, 1962, in WY.

ADDRESS

• Home - Berkeley, CA.

CAREER

Illustrator, writer, graphic artist, designer, and filmmaker. Has worked as a flight attendant for United Airlines and children’s clothing designer; commercial artist, with licensed designs appearing on clothing, toys, and furniture items. Creator of television program ToddWorld, airing on Discovery Kids Channel, 2004-10; creator of short films for Sesame Street. Active in reading programs through Reach Out and Read and others; has partnered with organizations and companies including People magazine, San Francisco-Marin Food Bank, and Target on charity and literacy campaigns. Exhibitions: Work exhibited at FAO Schwartz, New York, NY, and San Francisco, CA.

AWARDS:

National Parenting Publication Awards (NAPPA) Honor Book designation, 1999, for This Is My Hair; Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold award, 2001, for The Feelings Book, 2002, for The Daddy Book, The Mommy Book, and Going Places, and 2004, for The Family Book; iParenting Media Award and Daytime Academy Award nominations for Outstanding Children’s Animated Program, 2005, 2006, 2007, and Daytime Academy Award nomination for Original Song, 2007, all for ToddWorld; Humanitas Prize, 2005, for ToddWorld episode, “Who’s Your Best Friend?”; NAPPA award, 2009, for The I Love You Book; Parents’ Choice Award, 2010, and Green Earth Book Award, 2011, both for The Earth Book; Family Equality Council Award, 2012.

WRITINGS

• SELF-ILLUSTRATED PICTURE BOOKS
• Do’s and Don’ts, Little, Brown (Boston, MA), 1999
• This Is My Hair, Little, Brown (Boston, MA), 1999
• The Okay Book, Little, Brown (Boston, MA), 1999
• Things That Make You Feel Good/Things That Make You Feel Bad, Little, Brown (Boston, MA), 1999
• The Best Friends Book, Little, Brown (Boston, MA), 2000
• Underwear Do’s and Don’ts, Little, Brown (Boston, MA), 2000
• Zoo Do’s and Don’ts, Little, Brown (Boston, MA), 2000
• The Feelings Book, Little, Brown (Boston, MA), 2000
• Big and Little (board book), Little, Brown (Boston, MA), 2001
• Black and White (board book), Little, Brown (Boston, MA), 2001
• It’s Okay to Be Different, Little, Brown (Boston, MA), 2001
• My Really Cool Baby Book, Little, Brown (Boston, MA), 2001
• The Daddy Book, Little, Brown (Boston, MA), 2002
• The Mommy Book, Little, Brown (Boston, MA), 2002
• The Feel Good Book, Little, Brown (Boston, MA), 2002
• Funny Faces, Little, Brown (Boston, MA), 2002
• Going Places, Little, Brown (Boston, MA), 2002
• The Family Book, Little, Brown (Boston, MA), 2002
• Otto Goes to School, Little, Brown (Boston, MA), 2003
• Otto Goes to Bed, Little, Brown (Boston, MA), 2003
• Otto Goes to the Beach, Little, Brown (Boston, MA), 2003
• Otto Goes to Camp, Little, Brown (Boston, MA), 2004
• Otto Has a Birthday Party, Little, Brown (Boston, MA), 2004
• The Peace Book, Little, Brown (Boston, MA), 2004
• Who’s Your Best Friend?, Little, Brown (New York, NY), 2005
• Let’s Play Together, Little, Brown (Boston, MA), 2005
• Reading Makes You Feel Good, Little, Brown (New York, NY), 2005
• The Grandma Book, Little, Brown (New York, NY), 2006
• The Grandpa Book, Little, Brown (New York, NY), 2006
• It’s a Colorful World, Little, Brown (New York, NY), 2006
• Giant Book of Friendship Fun! (interactive book), LB Kids (New York, NY), 2006
• Todd’s Silly Book of Shapes, Little, Brown (New York, NY), 2006
• We Belong Together: A Book about Adoption and Families, Little, Brown (New York, NY), 2007
• The Earth Book, Little, Brown (New York, NY), 2009
• The I Love You Book, Little, Brown (New York, NY), 2009
• The I’m Not Scared Book, Little, Brown (New York, NY), 2011
• The Thankful Book, Megan Tingley Books (New York, NY), 2012
• The Underwear Book, Little, Brown (New York, NY), 2012
• Doggy Kisses 123, Little, Brown (New York, NY), 2013
• Animals in Underwear ABC, Little, Brown (New York, NY), 2013
• It’s Okay to Make Mistakes, Little, Brown (New York, NY), 2014
• Otto Goes to the Beach, Little, Brown (New York, NY), 2014
• The Goodbye Book, Little, Brown (New York, NY), 2015
• Teachers Rock!, Little, Brown (New York, NY), 2016
• Be Who You Are, Little, Brown (New York, NY), 2016
• Love the World, Little, Brown (New York, NY), 2017
• The Sister Book, Little, Brown (New York, NY), 2018
• The Brother Book, Little, Brown (New York, NY), 2018
• I Love the Earth, Little, Brown (New York, NY), 2018
• The Cars and Trucks Book, Little, Brown (New York, NY), 2018
• The Don’t Worry Book, Little, Brown (New York, NY), 2019
• The Kindness Book, Little, Brown (New York, NY), 2019
• The School Book, Little, Brown (New York, NY), 2019
• The Family Book, Little, Brown (New York, NY), 2020
• The Birthday Book, Little, Brown (New York, NY), 2020
• The Joyful Book, Little, Brown (New York, NY), 2020
• The Bedtime Book, Little, Brown (New York, NY), 2020
• The Spring Book, Little, Brown (New York, NY), 2021
• I Love My Teacher!, Little, Brown (New York, NY), 2023
• The Monster Mac and Cheese Party, Little, Brown (New York, NY), 2023
• You Will Always Have Me, Little, Brown (New York, NY), 2024
• I Am Strong!, Little, Brown (New York, NY), 2025

Also author of Be Hospitable, c. 2006, as part of a marketing campaign for Hilton Family of Hotels, and of Let’s Fix Dinner, c. 2009, for Stouffer’s.

ToddWorld, a twenty-six-episode television series based on Parr’s books, was broadcast in 2004. Several novelty books were adapted from the series, and from Parr’s work, by YAY! Design, among them Stella’s Different Ears, A Dog’s Day, and Lights Out, Todd! Parr’s book illustrations have been adapted and licensed for games, stuffed animals, children’s clothes, and home textiles.

SIDELIGHTS

Small in size and sporting engaging titles such as The Okay Book, Animals in Underwear ABC, I Love the Earth, and The Monster Mac and Cheese Party, the toddler-friendly books of author/illustrator Todd Parr feature bright, saturated colors and graphic, heavily outlined shapes. Parr, who lives and works in San Francisco, California, enjoys his popularity as a children’s book author and illustrator and makes time in his schedule to attend the book tours that allow him to meet his many young fans. In addition to his “book work,” he is a successful commercial designer whose artwork appears on everything from backpacks to toys and bath accessories. His books, which are enjoyed by children all around the world, also inspired Parr to create the animated television program ToddWorld, which ran for several years in the 2000s. ToddWorld follows the adventures of a blue-faced seven-year-old named Todd who shares a fantasy world with talking animals and demonstrates the importance of tolerance and the benefits of diversity.

Raised in Wyoming, Parr loved to draw as a child and art class ranked with him as the best part of the school day. His favorite books while growing up—Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss and both Go, Dog. Go! and Are You My Mother? by P.D. Eastman—inspired his decision to become a children’s book author and illustrator. The same quirky humor used by Seuss and Eastman is embodied in Parr’s own picture books, which a Publishers Weekly contributor characterized as “whimsical” and “upbeat” combinations of “advice and silliness.” “One of my first book reviews said an actual child drew the illustrations,” Parr recalled in an interview with Chris Mills for Instructor magazine. “At the time, I thought it was so embarrassing. I was wrecked. But I’ve really come to appreciate that comment over the years, because I think it’s why kids relate so well to me and my books.”

Parr’s board books, in particular, are popular with the toddler set. In Black and White and Big and Little his high-contrast illustrations help teach even the youngest toddler a basic concept using what a Publishers Weekly contributor characterized in a review of Black and White as a “signature bold black line” that “pops from neon-bright pages.”

Parr’s “Otto” series, about a yellow puppy with one blue ear, also engages young page-turners with gentle stories full of toddler appeal. In Otto Goes to Bed the puppy prepares for bed by barking at the moon, and in Otto Goes to the Beach he makes new friends during a trip to the seashore, among them a crabby crab, a condescending kitty, and a purple poodle sporting a bright pink hairstyle. Otto Goes to School finds the happy puppy fueling up on a banana-split breakfast before boarding the bus for his first day of school. While gaining an important lesson in safe tail-wagging, the likeable Otto gives children “support for a new experience,” according to Booklist contributor Ilene Cooper. In School Library Journal, Melinda Piehler predicted that the “Otto” books “will charm adults and children alike.”

An early example of Parr’s penchant for fun is This Is My Hair, which showcases the many things a child’s hair can do, from blowing in the breeze to becoming flattened by a hat to being pulled back tight in pigtails. In addition to discussing hairstyle variations from short to long, Parr veers off into the world of the totally absurd by suggesting “It’s okay to put fish in your hair,” thereby winning the hearts of toddlers everywhere. “Best friends will let you make dinner for them even if you serve spaghetti and worms,” the author suggests in the equally fun The Best Friends Book.

A Kirkus Reviews writer praised This Is My Hair for both its “uplifting” conclusion and Parr’s humorous illustrations. Calling The Best Friends Book “truly witty,” another Kirkus Reviews contributor praised the author’s “cheerfully, deliberately formulaic” approach and added that the rules and advice Parr imparts in this book will be “of importance to children.” Writing in School Library Journal, Olga R. Barnes praised Parr’s bright, stick-figure art and predicted that story-time participants will “laugh out loud” at the author/illustrator’s “tongue-in-cheek” text.

While humor injects itself into all of Parr’s work, several of his books weave serious themes in with the fun. In It’s Okay to Be Different, for example, a bright purple elephant reminds toddlers that “It’s okay to have a different nose,” adding its voice to the diverse animal menagerie that give voice to childhood insecurities ranging from being in an embarrassing situation to having a visible disability. The Feel Good Book promotes compassion, curiosity, and optimism while The I’m Not Scared Book examines situations when children might feel nervous or afraid, such as getting lost, fearing monsters under the bed, and getting on an airplane.

Effective in its intent, It’s Okay to Be Different is useful “for beginning a discussion on mutual respect,” in the opinion of School Library Journal contributor Adele Greenlee, while a Publishers Weekly critic wrote that the book “focuses on acceptance and individuality and encourages readers to do the same.” The Feel Good Book was described as the “perfect pick-me-up for any child who is having a bad day” by School Library Journal reviewer Linda Ludke, and The I’m Not Scared Book provides “convenient bibliotherapy for young kids trying to overcome their fears,” according to a Kirkus Reviews contributor.

Touting the many joys to be found in books, Reading Makes You Feel Good contains a “worthy message” paired with artwork featuring “rich colors and neatly drawn, thick-lined simplicity,” according to Booklist contributor John Peters. In School Library Journal, Suzanne Myers Harold noted that Parr’s inclusion of “fun details” and multi-colored animal characters “encourage[s] children and adults to move beyond the text and discuss the pictures together,” thereby strengthening the book’s value.

Designed to help young children record their growing-up years, My Really Cool Baby Book reflects the diversity among modern society that leads to blended and single-parent families. Along with a colorful growth chart, the book contains stickers, checklists, questionnaires, photo pages, and fill-in-the-blank sections that help children and parents record the years from infancy to toddlerhood and beyond. Not only “first word” but “first burp” are included in a work a Publishers Weekly contributor praised for featuring Parr’s characteristic “signature neon-bright colors, energetic humor, … and consideration of children’s feelings.”

Families are also the focus of The Grandma Book and The Grandpa Book, two volumes that help children distinguish the many interesting and often amazing traits most loving grandparents share, as well as The Mommy Book and The Daddy Book He further explores family relationships in The Family Book, employing his signature bright neon colors, simple stick figures, and rhythmic text to show a variety of families, from those with mom, dad, and kids, to stepfamilies, and families with same-sex parents. Even though the make-up of families differ, they are all similar in that members love one another and feel sad when another family member is not there. School Library Journal reviewer Marilyn Taniguchi wrote of The Family Book that Parr’s “concept book celebrating the diversity of family groups is distinguished by its sense of fun.” In this same vein are Parr’s books The Brother Book and The Sister Book. Reviewing both volumes in School Library Journal, Mary Elam commented: “These beginning books for listening and learning are recommended.”

From his focus on concrete human relationships, Parr turns to something more abstract in The Peace Book, ranging in his focus from the peace to be had in the gift of a hug to the peace of an environment devoid of litter. Central to obtaining inner peace, Parr notes, is simply being yourself and at peace with who you are. Engberg, writing in Booklist, praised The Peace Book as a “blazingly colored, upbeat celebration of diversity.”

Parr shares advice on how to take care of our planet in The Earth Book, and each suggestion is paired with the reason behind it. For example, in Parr’s view, a person who loves fish should turn off the faucet while brushing his or her teeth to conserve water. “Young children will get a kick out of the vivid art,” advised Booklist reviewer Ilene Cooper, and a Kirkus Reviews critic observed that Parr’s manner of dealing with the complex subject of environmentalism is “simple but not simplistic, and this introduction to the subject is both useful and entertaining.”

In an interview with Amber Leventry, a contributor to the Next Family website, Parr discussed his 2015 volume, The Goodbye Book. He stated: “The book will focus on separation, loss, and death without mentioning anything specific. This book took me years to think about how to do it and hit the right message.” Parr continued: “I pretty much depict the cycle of emotions that transform into hope and [remind readers] that there will always be someone there to hold you tight. … Like so many things my books are used for, there is a huge need for simplistic material to help children cope with life problems. I always refer to my books as springboards for the professionals to use for a specific situation.” In this volume, a goldfish is saddened by the loss of his friend, a green fish. Eventually, the fish is cheered when he focuses on the good times he spent with his friend. A writer in Kirkus Reviews described The Goodbye Book as “an excellent guide to grief for a multitude of situations.” School Library Journal reviewer Liz Anderson called it “an honest but gentle look at the grief that comes with saying goodbye.” “Parr speaks to children in their own language, pairing easily interpreted pictures with empathic text,” noted a Publishers Weekly critic.

Teachers Rock! finds Parr depicting a diverse group of teachers going about their daily lives. They are shown buying supplies for the classroom, cleaning up messes, playing games with their students, and teaching them new things. A Kirkus Reviews critic suggested that Teachers Rock! was “sure to reassure readers nervous about their own teachers-to-be.” Writing in School Library Journal, Barbara Spiri called the book “a superb selection” and added: “Animal characters help make this book entertaining and truly diverse.”

Parr encourages readers to embrace their individuality in Be Who You Are. A contributor to Kirkus Reviews noted that the volume was “a simple spin on Parr’s It’s Okay to Be Different (2001) but still worth shouting from the rooftops.” Mary Hazelton, a reviewer in School Library Journal, asserted: “There cannot be too many options that encourage this sentiment in children.”

In Love the World, short sentences instruct readers to love various things on Earth and various aspects of themselves. A Kirkus Reviews writer suggested: “Parr’s simplicity is integral to the power of his book.”

The Cars and Trucks Book features illustrations of various vehicles, including a pizza truck, a monster truck, and a laundry truck. “There’s much here to amuse both younger and older vehicle fans,” asserted a Kirkus Reviews contributor.

The Don’t Worry Book tackles the concept of worry for young readers. The book showcases fifteen different situations featuring humans and dogs that revolve around worry. For example, a child has a doctor’s appointment, a dog hides when something troubling is on television, and a child has too much anxiety-inducing screen time. The book then provides ten actions readers can take to challenge worrying thoughts, including deep breathing and speaking to an adult. Alyssa Annico, writing in School Library Journal, predicted that The Don’t Worry Book would be an “excellent discussion starter.” Annico appreciated that the book portrays worry as “a normal feeling” and found it to be a “gentle exploration of a challenging emotion.” A Kirkus Reviews critic praised the illustrations, stating: “In Parr’s thick-lined, minimally detailed illustrations, the artist employs his characteristic technique of adding blue, purple, and bright yellow to … skin tones.”

In The Monster Mac and Cheese Party, monsters are invited to an exclusive event where no humans are allowed. Each monster brings their own spin on mac and cheese to the party. For example, the mummy’s dish contains eyeballs while the werewolve’s mac and cheese involves bones. The humans crash the party with boxed mac and cheese, but the monsters explain that they love them regardless. Parr’s overall message is that it is fun to try new things with others, and the conclusion contains the author’s favorite mac and cheese recipes. “Parr’s bold idiosyncratic style supplies bright colors and silly details that will surely elicit grossed out giggles,” remarked School Library Journal contributor Yelena Voysey. In Kirkus Reviews a writer predicted that “monster lovers and mac-and-cheese connoisseurs are sure to eat this one up.” In a Children’s Book Review interview with Bianca Schulze, Parr stated: “The message in Monster Mac and Cheese is just feel good. It’s just fun and feel good and laugh and, of course, comfort food.”

[open new]Parr provides comfort and inspiration with books like You Will Always Have Me and I Am Strong! The former title suggests that, no matter how much might go wrong—a bad haircut, a missed chance to score a goal—readers will always have someone standing by to support them, whether a parent, a friend, a pet, or at the very least oneself. A Kirkus Reviews writer found the illustrations “ablaze with eye-popping colors” and declared that You Will Always Have Me “brims with love, warmth, and good cheer and … a wonderful, affirming message that kids can’t hear often enough.” In I Am Strong!, animals take the lead in touting their strength—not just physical, but emotional, interpersonal, and ethical, too. A giraffe is willing to ask for help when needed, as well as give it to a treed cat. A compassionate bear is gentle enough to hold a butterfly. Frogs get exercise, a bunny admits its mistakes, and a cow speaks up when it feels bothered. Enjoying the “goofy strain” that runs through the book—as with the underwear on the bunny’s head—a Kirkus Reviews writer appreciated how each declaration serves as a “connection point for readers to empathize or find parallels in their own lives.” The reviewer concluded that I Am Strong! offers “strength redefined for a new generation.”[close new]

Parr once told SATA: “I started painting large canvas with messages on them. As I continued to make my art more accessible to people, I decided to license my art for a variety of products such a clothing and greeting cards. It was at that time I met my editor, Megan Tingley of Little, Brown Books. She suggested I explore children’s books.

“My favorite books growing up were Go Dog Go, Are You My Mother?, Hop on Pop and many others. Looking back, I think those had a strong influence on my work today. Also, I don’t get to just have fun and write books, but books that help young people be better human beings.

“It started with paper and markers. I quickly discovered a drawing tablet after my first right books were published and immediately found that it was my preferred way to draw and write. It was something that was really being done and slightly looked down upon. A lot has changed since then. So many authors and illustrators now use a digital process. I always seem to be a little ahead of my time, I think, until now.

“I hope my books help children build their confidence and their self-esteem, to learn about the difference in everyone and embrace them. And to make them better human beings in life.”

BIOCRIT

PERIODICALS

• Advocate, April 25, 2006, P.J. Gray, “Family Guy,” p. 60.

• Booklist, August, 2005, Ilene Cooper, review of Otto Goes to School, p. 2042; December 1, 2005, John Peters, review of Reading Makes You Feel Good, p. 55; July 1, 2007, Shelle Rosenfeld, review of We Belong Together: A Book about Adoption and Families, p. 67; March 1, 2010, Ilene Cooper, review of The Earth Book, p. 75.

• Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, December, 2007, Deborah Stevenson, review of We Belong Together, p. 183.

• Children’s Book Review Service, April, 1999, Leanne D. Grace, reviews of The Okay Book, Do’s and Don’ts, This Is My Hair, and Things That Make You Feel Good/Things That Make You Feel Bad, all p. 102.

• Instructor, March-April, 2007, Chris Mills, author interview, p. 72.

• Kirkus Reviews, March 15, 1999, review of This Is My Hair, p. 454; January 15, 2000, review of The Best Friends Book, p. 122; September 1, 2001, review of It’s Okay to Be Different, p. 1298; March 15, 2006, review of The Grandpa Book, p. 298; October 15, 2007, review of We Belong Together; November 15, 2008, review of The I Love You Book; March 1, 2010, review of The Earth Book; August 1, 2011, review of The I’m Not Scared Book; September 15, 2015, review of The Goodbye Book; June 1, 2016, review of Teachers Rock!; November 1, 2016, review of Be Who You Are; September 1, 2017, review of Love the World; October 1, 2018, review of The Cars and Trucks Book; May 15, 2019, review of The Don’t Worry Book; April 15, 2023, review of The Monster Mac and Cheese Party; July 1, 2024, review of You Will Always Have Me; May 15, 2025, review of I Am Strong!

• Publishers Weekly, April 5, 1999, review of The Okay Book, p. 243; October 2, 2000, review of Underwear Do’s and Don’ts, p. 83; April 2, 2001, review of My Really Cool Baby Book, p. 66; April 23, 2001, review of Black and White, p. 80; August 27, 2001, review of It’s Okay to Be Different, p. 83; March 18, 2002, Karen Raugust, review of It’s Okay to Be Different, p. 28; February 7, 2005, Karen Raugust, “ToddWorld,” p. 23; September 28, 2015, review of The Goodbye Book, p. 88.

• School Library Journal, May, 1999, Christy Norris Blanchette, reviews of Do’s and Don’ts, The Okay Book, Things That Make You Feel Good/Things That Make You Feel Bad, and This Is My Hair, all p. 94; August, 2000, Olga R. Barnes, reviews of The Best Friends Book and Zoo Do’s and Don’ts, both p. 162; December, 2000, Holly Belli, reviews of The Feelings Book and Underwear Do’s and Don’ts, both pp. 122-123; October, 2001, Adele Greenlee, review of It’s Okay to Be Different, p. 128; May, 2002, Shawn Brommer, reviews of The Daddy Book and The Mommy Book, both p. 124; October, 2002, Linda Ludke, review of The Feel Good Book, p. 125; July, 2003, Melinda Piehler, reviews of Otto Goes to Bed and Otto Goes to the Beach, both p. 146; December, 2003, Marilyn Taniguchi, review of The Family Book, p. 122; October, 2004, Olga R. Kuharets, review of Otto Has a Birthday Party, p. 126; November, 2004, Blair Christolon, review of The Peace Book, p. 114; September, 2005, Marge Loch-Wouters, review of Otto Goes to School, and Suzanne Myers Harold, review of Reading Makes You Feel Good, p. 184; April, 2006, Linda Staskus, review of The Grandma Book, p. 115; October, 2006, review of The Grandma Book; October, 2007, Deborah Vose, review of We Belong Together, p. 124; December, 2008, Martha Simpson, review of The I Love You Book, p. 99; March, 2010, Grace Oliff, review of The Earth Book, p. 142; August, 2015, Liz Anderson, review of The Goodbye Book, p. 75; August, 2016, Barbara Spiri, review of Teachers Rock!, p. 66; November, 2016, Mary Hazelton, review of Be Who You Are, p. 78; March, 2018, Mary Elam, review of The Brother Book, p. 76; August, 2019, Maryann H. Owen, review of The School Book, p. 51; October, 2019, Robin Sofge, review of The Kindness Book, p. 72; April, 2023, Yelena Voysey, review of The Monster Mac and Cheese Party, p. 121.

ONLINE

• AP News, https://apnews.com/ (August 24, 2023), Annie Ma, “Bans on Diverse Picture Books? Young Kids Need to See Their Families Represented, Experts Say.”

• BookPage, http://www.bookpage.com/ (February 4, 2002), author interview.

• Children’s Book Review, https://www.thechildrensbookreview.com/ (October 4, 2023), Bianca Schulze, author interview.

• LGBTQ Nation, https://www.lgbtqnation.com/ (June 15, 2023), Molly Sprayregen, author interview.

• Next Family, http://thenextfamily.com/ (October 7, 2015), Amber Leventry, author interview.

• Todd Parr website, https://www.toddparr.com (December 15, 2025).

• Washington Blade, https://www.washingtonblade.com/ (August 4, 2023), Kati Wolfe, “Oft Banned Gay Author’s New Kids’ Book a Fun Treat.”