If you don't remember childhood and you idealize it, you can't write books for kids because they're not real. Kids pick that up.

I tell the stories in front of audiences and wait for something to happen. It's similar to a standup comic doing his schtick for an audience.

The title is one of the most important things. It is the first thing that people read.

Success is a wonderful addition to my life.

Most of my books came from when I was telling stories.

People forget what a big issue toilet training is for adults and kids, and it is not fun, especially when you're in a car on the interstate.

I almost flunked first grade and also the second, third, forth, and fifth; but my younger brother was in the grade behind me and he was a brain and nobody wanted to have me be in the same grade as him, so they kept passing me. I never learned how to spell, graduated from eighth grade counting on my fingers to do simple addition, and in general was not a resounding academic success.