Title: THE BOY WHO BECAME A HOTEL

Published: 1973, HOLT, REINHART, AND WINSTON

Republished: 2023, Amazon

THE BOY WHO BECAME A HOTEL: ELLS, JAY: 9798858300816: Amazon.com: Books

This original illustrated story of twenty-eight pages was designed as a separate book. The prolific editor Bill Martin Jr. (Author of "Brown Bear Brown Bear what do you See? ") selected it to be published in an anthology for the sixth primary grade, ‘Sounds Freedomring’, on pages 30-58 (https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51ocJnKohQL._SX377_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg).

I had designed six books, and Bill chose all six for his anthology collection ‘Sounds of Language’ for the primary grades one through six, published by Holt Reinhart and Winston from 1970-73, Sounds of Language Readers Series by Bill Martin Jr. (goodreads.com), one of the largest publishers of books for children. My stories were the longest in each book. Bill said, ‘Your stories will appeal to juvenile delinquents and to gifted children and to those who feel left out.

Title: THE BOY WHO BECAME A HOTEL

Published: ILLUSTRATORI DI LIBRI RAGAZZI, Italy

This is a selected illustration from ‘The Boy Who Became a Hotel’ and was published by Illustratori di Libri Ragazzi. This 4-page foldout of the boy having grown into the hotel was part of the book design that could not be published in the textbook. However, it was exhibited at the International Book Fair in Bologna, Italy.

Written on the back by a jury member was ‘Imaginative!!’ In the story, a boy sacrifices himself to the animals and becomes their hotel.

Title: SPOILED TOMATOES

Published: BOWMAR PUBLISHING

I created the cover and a total of forty illustrations in this book. The book, written by Bill Martin Jr., were part of a single book of twelve about life in the United States. This one was on pollution.

A psychiatrist friend said, ‘I don’t know whether you are for pollution or against it!’ A librarian friend said it was the most popular of the twelve in the series. She had to order four extra copies. This picture was used in the popular book ‘How to Write and Illustrate Children’s Books’ by Frieda Gates.

Title: GOLDEN PUZZLE FUN

Published: GOLDEN PRESS, WESTERN PUBLISHING COMPANY

Eight issues used my double page puzzles with subjects from mythology, games, and puzzles. This picture is a "Make a Monster" assembling parts of rooster, snake, alligator, and leopard.

Title: FLIGHT

Published: HOLT, REINHART, AND WINSTON

This book, containing seventy-nine words over eight pages of pictures, was selected by editor Bill Martin Jr. for the anthology ‘Sounds of a Powwow’ for the second primary grade. My neighbor Susan, who later lived on an active volcano, suggested that I write about a spaceman. This inspired me to create the story of ‘The little spaceman who came from the heavens and landed in her backyard. She threw him in a pit and grew him like a vegetable.’

(Sounds of a Powwow by Bill Martin Jr. | Goodreads).

Title: WHEN A FLOWER GREW IN A DIRTY EAR

Published: HOLT, REINHART, AND WINSTON

My grandmother, who came after me with soap and a cloth to wash my dirty ear when I was a little boy, was the inspiration for this book. I turned this memory into a rollicking adventure of a dragon who wanted a kitty to play with and who was pursued by the kitty’s friends. The story takes us up into the sky, shooting with cap pistols and splashing into a pond before grandma appears with cookies and milk. It all starts with a dirty ear that grows a flower for the kitty to sit on. If the bunny had not had a dirty ear, this adventure would not have happened. The book was published in the anthology for the fourth primary grade in ‘Sounds After Dark’, edited by Bill Martin Jr., and contains forty pictures.

Title: THE BIG RED DRAGON

Published: HOLT, REINHART, AND WINSTON

The Big Red Dragon’ was published by Holt Reinhart and Winston for the anthology for the second primary grade, ‘Sounds of a Young Hunter’. This was the second book I made, so I wanted to include every kind of fantasy animal I could fit into my original story. The book contains forty pictures. My editor, Bill Martin Jr., wanted a centerfold with all the animals together. This picture is half of that centerfold. He then needed to drop two of my favorite pictures for the story to fit the already printed Table of Contents. He also made a sharp edit to the words, which I was extremely glad to see. In my other stories, he left the words as I had written them.