Mickey Mcguffin's Ear (Mickey McGuffin) (Mickey McGuffin) [Hardcover]

John Hall (Author), Stephen Gilpin (Illustrator)

Book Description

Series: Mickey McGuffin

Mickey who hears pretty well except when he can't remember what his mom told him to do embarks on a journey of imagination and discovery. Not only will children learn how their ears work but they'll also be prompted with the importance of listening. So Mickey did what we Really all want to do Just shrunk himself down Much smaller than me or you. And then he went in Right into his ear Because he wanted to know Just how his ear hears.

Editorial Reviews

Review

...a fantastic journey into his own ear to learn how he hears... GilpinÂ’s illustrations are great fun. --PBS Teachers Rersource, February Recommended Reading

About the Author

Somewhere in his grade school years, John Hall graduated from Dick and Jane and discovered Dr Suess. Things have never been the same since. By his high school years, John was exempted from some regular classes so he could hang in the school library and simply consume massive numbers of books. This is also when he began his writing career, doing comedy scripts and fantasy shorts, along with the customary required essays and silly limericks on the bathroom walls. By the latter part of his college years, John was a published poet and feature reporter at the University of Kansas, as well as running his own advertising firm.

Equally of interest was his fascination with children and how they learn. Returning to college, he earned his primary grades certification and taught second and third grades for five years before moving out of the classroom as a full time educational consultant, teaching teachers innovative ways to build their classrooms around children's writing.

Though his multi-faceted career eventually took him into the world of business, his mutual love of children and of writing continued to run strong. At one point he founded a childrenÂ’s product design company, along the way working with the likes of Jim Henson and Disney. Sometime when you get a chance, ask him about his adventure with Big Bird and Grover.

John now devotes full time to writing, recently starting his own childrenÂ’s book label, Red Rocket Bookworks, together with award-winning illustrator, Stephen Gilpin.

John spends one day a week in grade school classrooms showing kids how books are created and encouraging them to write their own. He is the single father of four elementary aged children who attend Poplar Grove School, where not coincidentally his official fan club is also headquartered.

His seventh grade son, John Gabriel, will soon release his own book entitled "21 Things Every Kid Wishes Their Parents Knew". Devynn, his third grade daughter is a talented artist and storyteller with several books currently in the works.

You can generally find John either writing at his Franklin, Tennessee studio or on the floor somewhere with a bunch of kids.

Illustrator: Stephen Gilpin

Stephen Gilpin was schooled at the New York School of Visual Arts where he earned his BFA and graduated with honors. While there he also developed a taste for abstract expressionism and a frustration with being constantly at the mercy of the public transportation system. He currently lives and works in Tulsa, Oklahoma with his wonderful wife Krista and their four kids. He drives a car now, and if heÂ’s late, itÂ’s his own fault. Aside from being a husband, dad, and visual artist, Stephen is a fine bagpiper and novice gardener. He also enjoys long walks on the beach.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 48 pages
• Publisher: White Stone Books (September 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1593790686
• ISBN-13: 978-1593790684
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 8.9 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,564,217 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful experience..., September 28, 2005

By 

Adam Black (Tennessee, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mickey Mcguffin's Ear (Mickey McGuffin) (Mickey McGuffin) (Hardcover)

I read Mickey McGuffin's Ear to my children last night... and they LOVED it. At the end, my son was intrigued with Mickey's ability to go into his own ear. He thought that was so cool. It was obvious from his face that entering one's own ear wasn't an impossible concept, just really cool. Both he (6 years old) and my daughter (4 years old) asked such great questions (the kind that only stimulated children's minds can ask). And my wife got a great message out of the book-- though not the message I expected: She asked our kids if they feel like we tell them so much to do that it becomes a huge pile of information that they can't remember. The look on my son's face was priceles-- someone finally understood him! My wife apologized for sending so many messages and said she was going to try and work on communicating better with our children. It was a great moment. My son immediately asked about the other Mickey McGuffin books, and was excited to read them when they become available. My wife particularly loved the artwork... really helped create the tone for the story. Thank you for a great reading experience with my family. 

Adam Black

-Two-time Educator of the Year District 4 in 1998, 2000 (Tennessee Drama League)
-Educator of the Year for 2003 from Brentwood Academy
-National Award-winning Storyteller Champion 1996
-Currently serves on the Board and acting Director for a children's literacy program called Write On!