Hello. My name is Max Loony. Actually, it’s not. My real name is Robert Potthast, but that’s not nearly as funny. Read-iculous Books is my invention—er, creation—er, whatever. It came to me in a flash one day, and I just started writing it all down. Eventually, I started illustrating what I’d written. And now it feels like a snowball that’s going to just keep rolling and rolling…

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And rolling!

 

Tell us more about you, Max.

 

Oh, okay. Well, I’m a self-taught long-time student of psychology. I have a profound understanding of the essentials of human emotional connection, especially in early childhood. I have a deep love for nature, our planet, and people in general (yeah, other humans like me). I have a goofy sense of humor, and I love to make people laugh. I love using ridiculous ideas to compel the imaginations of children and parents alike and to bless their relationships with each other. Yes, I’m an extreme optimist who thinks he can change the world—one toddler smile at a time!

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And what are your credentials?

 

Credentials, credentials—ah, yes! Those are those thingies that make me qualified to write books. Am I write? WRITE? Yes, I’m that kind of a guy. Don’t get me wrong. I do have a serious side—you just won’t find it here.

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Okay, so what are my credentials? Well, let’s see… In junior high, I wrote a story so impressive to my teacher that she had me read it to the entire class. (Not good enough.)

I hold a BS degree in Technical Management. (Cool, but we’re not interested in BS here.)

For 15+ years, I wrote complex and sophisticated software. (Nice, but writing software is not the same as writing kids' books.)

Well, I’ve also spent years writing technical documentation, receiving ample praise for the exceptional quality of my writing. (Better. Tell us more.)

I’ve had a previous employer tell me I was a genius. (Okay. What else?)

I’m a story-teller. As a Dad of several kids, I’ve been inventing and telling stories to children for decades. Wait—how old am I? (Good, good. And…?)

I’m excellent at grammar, punctuation, spelling, and—uh, all writingish sorts of things. Of course, I like breaking the rules for artistic purposes. (AND…?)

And what? What else do you want to know? I’m just—I’m just—I’m a writer!

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Yeah. That’s it. I’m a writer. It’s what I do. I don’t try to write. I don’t make cheesy attempts at it. I love to write. And I don’t just love to write. I have to write. I can’t help it. It just has to come out. I’ve written (or simply told to my children) a vast number of short stories that the world has never heard before. And look at Read-iculous Books. Besides the few books I have already illustrated, I’ve got several more written and ready to illustrate—and several others in my head that I haven’t even written down yet! The ideas just keep coming and coming—faster than I can write them and much faster than I can illustrate them. And it’s not just kids' books. I’ve got tons of short stories and even whole novels in my head—just waiting to be written down! Oh, and I hardly ever get “writer’s block” (whatever that is). For me, writing just flows, and flows, and flows,…

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And flows. Sometimes into the next paragraph. Here I go breaking the rules again. Anyway, stick with me and you’ll find I’m a laid-back California guy that does what he loves and loves what he does.

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