Over the years, I've been part of the production team on a number of television shows that have been spun off of classic children's books. I was at Random House when we produced a Christmas special for HBO Family of "The Country Mouse and City Mouse". Not only did the book come to life onscreen, but it starred John Lithgow as the suave, sophisticated City Mouse and Crystal Gayle as the charming, sweet Country Mouse. I wrote three songs for the show that Ms. Gayle recorded and I was spell bound when she walked into the studio with hair that truly did sweep the floor! A few years later I became the Head Writer on "The Country Mouse and the City Mouse Adventures" which was a rollicking good time. Later, I was asked by Scholastic Productions to help bring the best-selling "I Spy" books to television. It was so challenging to duplicate Jean Marzollo's rhymes that we spent hours doing what she seems to do so easily. I was also part of the writing team for "Clifford" and "Clifford's Puppy Days" and am delighted that yet again that children's books that are near and dear to my heart, "The Cat in the Hat's Learning Library" have become a television series that begins airing this Monday, September 6th on PBS Kids. It's a thrill, to say the least.
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