The Dragon's Scales(Step into Reading, step3)[怪物巨龙]

MarcBrownisbestknownastheauthorandillustratorwhocreatedthebelovedaardvarkArthur.Thispopularcharacterwasbornonenightovertwentyyearsago,whenBrownwastellinghisoldestson,Tolon,abedtimestory.Mostofthestorieshetoldwereaboutanimals,butthatnightthestoryjusthappenedtobeaboutanaardvark.BrownhaswrittenandillustratedmorethanfiftyArthurandD.W.(Arthur'slittlesister)bookssincethen.Hehasalsoillustratedtwelveotherbookswithhiswife--author,illustrator,andpsychologistLaurieKrasnyBrown.Asachild,MarcBrown'spassionfordrawingwasencouragedbyhisgrandmotherThora,whosavedhisartworkinthebottomdrawerofherbureau."Iknewitmustbespecial,"recallsBrown,"becauseshedidn'tsavemanythings."HisgrandmotherlaterprovidedaneducationfundthathelpedBrownpayforartschool.HeattendedtheClevelandInstituteofArtfrom1964to1969.GrandmaThoraisjustonepersoninMarcBrown'slifewhohasaffordedtheinspirationforoneofhischaracters.ManyothercharactersarebasedonchildrenheknewwhilehewasgrowingupandgoingtoschoolinMillCreek,Pennsylvania.Hissisters--Bonnie,Colleen,andKimberly--haveallservedasmodelsforhischaractersD.W.andFrancine.BrownpatternedBusterafterTerryJohnson,hisbestfriendinelementaryschool,whileMr.Ratburnisbasedon"themeanestalgebrateacherever."Brownwasbornin1946inErie,Pennsylvania.BeforehecreatedtheArthurseries,heworkedatavarietyofjobs,includingstintsasatruckdriver,short-ordercook,collegeprofessor,sodajerk,actor,chickenfarmer,andtelevisionartdirector.Now,inadditiontodevelopingtheArthurtelevisionseriesonPBS,BrowncontinuestocreatenewbooksbothforRandomHouseChildren'sPublishingandLittle,BrownBooksforYoungReaders.MarcBrownlivesinHingham,Massachusetts,andMartha'sVineyardwithLaurieandtheiryoungdaughter,Eliza.Healsohastwogrownsons,TolonandTucker.Brownlookstohisthreechildrenforinspirationandstoryideas.Healsogetsmanysuggestionsfromchildrenhemeetsinschools,libraries,andbookstoresaroundthecountry."Themostinteresting--andthefunniest--things,"Brownsays,"happeninreallife."