Troy Cummings

ABOUT THE AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR

As a kid, New York Times bestselling author Troy Cummings spent all his time writing stories, drawing pictures, and keeping an eye out for monsters. As a grown-up, he pretty much does the same thing. Except now his bed time is 9:15.

Troy has written and illustrated more than fifty children's books, including THE NOTEBOOK OF DOOM series, THE BINDER OF DOOM series, CAN I BE YOUR DOG?, and THE EENSY WEENSY SPIDER FREAKS OUT (BIG-TIME!) He has also illustrated books by other authors, including CARING FOR YOUR LION (by Tammi Sauer), LITTLE RED GLIDING HOOD (by Tara Lazar), MIGHTY TRUCK (by Chris Barton), and VROOM VROOM GARBAGE TRUCK (by Asia Citro).

His illustrations have appeared in newspapers, magazines, greeting cards, board games, jigsaw puzzles, a French opera, and on the back of a box of fish sticks.

Troy Cummings lives in Indiana, where he steals jokes from his kids, cats, and hamsters.

PUBLISHERS

Troy Cummings's books have been published by Abrams Appleseed, Capstone, Caterpillar Books, Chronicle, Harper Collins, Igloo Books, The Innovation Press, Random House, Scholastic, Sourcebooks, Sterling, and Wiley.

Illustration Clients include AOL, Back Stage, The Boston Globe, Cambridge University Press, Cartoon Network, The Chicago Tribune, Crab Hill Press, Cricket Media, Crocodile Creek, Highlights, The National Park Foundation, NY Daily News, Peaceable Kingdom Press, Portland Monthly, POZ, Quill, The RiverRun International Film Festival, The Minneapolis StarTribune, and Time for Kids.

FAQ

When were you born?
June 7, 1972

Are the "Notebook of Doom" characters based on anyone in real life?
Yes. The kids are based on kids I know, and kids I remember from when I was in grade school. The grown-ups are based on me and my grown-up friends, who sometimes dismiss things that kids know are important. And Ranger Harry is similar to a guy I knew in college, who still owes me five bucks.

What do you do for fun when you're not writing/illustrating books?
I love to play board games, even though my kids clobber me most of the time.

Do you play any sports?
I play wallyball twice a week—it's like volleyball, but you can bounce the ball off the walls. I also love to ride bikes with my kids.

Do you have any fears?
I'm totally afraid of heights! Even standing on a chair makes me woozy.

I'm going to be Troy Cummings for my school presentation. Do you have any advice for how I could dress and act like you?

- Be sure to wear comfortable shoes. I always wear sneakers if I can.

- If you don't have glasses, you'll have to make some, or borrow a pair from Mr. Potato Head.

- Speaking of potato head: you may have noticed that I'm totally bald. I'd advise you NOT to shave your head for this report, even if you think it may result in a better grade.

- Keep a little notebook in your pocket. (Always carry a notebook! Any time you're bored, you should be doodling.)

- Be sure to show off your sweet, sweet dance moves. (I'm not really a great dancer, but if you can convince people I am in your report, that'll make me look cool.) 

LINKS

• Troy Cummings Writes a Letter (writing advice via Tara Lazar’s StoryStorm).