Norman the Doorman [Paperback]

From the author of perennial favoriteCorduroycomes a charming tale of a marvelously talented mouse

Norman is a doorman. He is also a mouse. Most important of all, he is a sculptor, particularly gifted in his manipulation of mousetraps into mobiles. This story, set in a museum, boasts illustrations of rare charm and quality. And the world of art lovers, exhibit openings, and mousedom, portrayed in Don Freeman’s delicious pastels, will enchant children and delight the most sophisticated of parents.”—Kirkus ReviewsDon Freeman was born in San Diego, California, in 1908. At an early age, he received a trumpet as a gift from his father. He practiced obsessively and eventually joined a California dance band. After graduating from high school, he ventured to New York City to study art under the tutelage of Joan Sloan and Harry Wickey at the Art Students' League. He managed to support himself throughout his schooling by playing his trumpet evenings, in nightclubs and at weddings.

Gradually, he eased into making a living sketching impressions of Broadway shows forThe New York TimesandThe Herald Tribune. This shift was helped along, in no small part, by a rather heartbreaking incident: he lost his trumpet. One evening, he was so engrossed in sketching people on the subway, he simply forgot it was sitting on the seat beside him. This new career turned out to be a near-perfect fit for Don, though, as he had always loved the theater.

He was introduced to the world of children’s literature when William Saroyan asked him to illustrate several books. Soon after, he began to write and illustrate his own books, a career he settled into comfortably and happily. Through his writing, he was able to create his own theater: I love the flow of turning the pages, the suspense of what's next. Ideas just come at me and after me. It's all so natural. I work all the time, long into the night, and it's such a pleasul#(