Mayer's father was in the United States Navy , so the family moved many times during his childhood. The Mayers finally settled in Honolulu, Hawaii , where Mayer graduated from high school in 1961. After graduation, he attended school at the Honolulu Academy Of Arts for about a year. During this time, he decided he wanted to be a children's book illustrator, so he created a portfolio of sketches and peddled them wherever he could. All his professors tried to discourage Mayer from following his dream, fearing the young artist would never be good enough to make a living as an illustrator.
In 1964, Mayer left Hawaii to move to New York City , where he received additional art training at the Arts Student League. Here he met his first wife, Marianna, an artist in her own right. He also received some excellent career advice from an art director, who told Mayer to throw his portfolio away because it was so bad. Although this blunt advice greatly angered Mayer, he did follow the suggestion. He took a day job at an advertising agency, and in his spare time created a completely new portfolio from scratch. These new sketches persuaded editors at Dial Press and Harper and Row to give him some illustration work.
Mayer published his first book, ''A Boy, a Dog, and a Frog'', at Dial Press in 1967. It was notable for being a completely wordless picture bookâone that tells its story completely through the use of pictures. Mayer was one of the first illustrators to be credited for using this format. Five more books in this series were to follow.
The book ''There's a Nightmare in My Closet'' drew on Mayer's childhood fears of monsters in his room at night. Critics compared the book, unfavorably, to Maurice Sendak 's '' Where The Wild Things Are '', but children and their parents loved the story and it became very popular.
Mayer joined Golden Publishing, creators of Little Golden Books , in 1976. Through them he has sold his "Little Critter" and "Little Monster" series, which are popular with beginning readers.
In 1978, Mayer divorced Marianna. The following year, he married his second wife, Jo. The couple have two children, a son named Len and a daughter named Jessie. Mayer currently lives in Roxbury, Connecticut with his third wife, Gina.
In addition to writing and illustrating his own books, Mayer has collaborated on many projects with other children's authors. He has illustrated books for John Bellairs , Jane Yolen , Jan Wahl , and Jay Williams , among others.
The following is a partial list of books Mercer Mayer has written and illustrated.
- ''A Boy, a Dog and a Frog'' (1967)
- ''Frog, Where Are You?'' (1969)
- ''A Boy, a Dog, a Frog, and a Friend'' (1971)
- ''Frog on His Own'' (1973)
- ''Mrs. Beggs and the Wizard'' (1973)
- ''You're the Scaredy-Cat'' (1974)
- ''Just For You'' (1975)
- ''There's a Nightmare in My Closet'' (1976)
- ''Just Fishing with Grandma'' (1976)
- ''What Do You Do with a Kangaroo?'' (1976)
- ''Just Me and My Dad'' (1977)
- ''Little Monster's Alphabet Book'' (1978)
- ''Beauty and the Beast'' (1978)
- ''The New Baby'' (1980)
- ''Just Grandma and Me'' (1983)
- ''Just Grandpa and Me'' (1983)
- ''All by Myself'' (1983)
- ''I Was So Mad'' (1983)
- ''Just Go To Bed'' (1983)
- ''Me Too!'' (1983)
- ''Merry Christmas Mom and Dad'' (1983)
- ''Just a Snowy Day'' (1983)
- ''When I Get Bigger'' (1985)
- ''Zoomer Builds a Racing Car'' (1985)
- ''Just Me and My Babysitter'' (1986)
- ''Just Me and My Little Sister'' (1986)
- ''Just a Mess'' (1987)
- ''Baby Sister Says No'' (1987)
- ''Little Critter's Bedtime Storybook'' (1987)
- ''There's an Alligator Under My Bed'' (1987)
- ''I Just Forgot'' (1988)
- ''Just My Friend and Me'' (1988)
- ''Happy Easter, Little Critter'' (1988)
- ''Little Critter's These Are My Pets'' (1988)
- ''Little Sister's Birthday'' (1988)
- ''Staying Overnight'' (1988)
- ''Just a Daydream'' (1989)
- ''Little Critter's This Is My Friend'' (1989)
- ''Just Shopping with Mom'' (1989)
- ''Just a Nap'' (1989)
- ''Little Critter's Christmas Book'' (1989)
- ''Little Critter's The Fussy Princess'' (1989)
- ''Just Me and My Mom'' (1990)
- ''Just Going to the Dentist'' (1990)
- ''Just a Rainy Day'' (1990)
- ''Little Critter's This Is My School'' (1990)
- ''Just Me and My Little Brother'' (1991)
- ''When I Grow Up'' (1991)
- ''Just Camping Out'' (1991)
- ''Little Critter at Scout Camp'' (1991)
- ''Just Me and My Cousin'' (1992)
- ''What a Bad Dream'' (1992)
- ''There's Something in My Attic'' (1992)
- ''Just a Thunderstorm'' (1993)
- ''Trick or Treat, Little Critter'' (1993)
- ''Very Special Little Critter, a'' (1993)
- ''Little Critter's Joke Book'' (1993)
- ''Just Me in the Tub'' (1994)
- ''Just Lost!'' (1994)
- ''My Big Sister'' (1995)
- ''Little Critter's The Night Before Christmas'' (1995)
- ''I'm Sorry'' (1996)
- ''I Smell Christmas'' (1997)
- ''Just a Bubble Bath'' (1997)
- ''Little Critter's The Trip'' (1997)
- ''Little Critter's The Picnic'' (1997)
- ''Liza Lou and the Yeller Belly Swamp'' (1997)
- ''Just Like Dad'' (1998)
- ''Just Say Please'' (1998)
- ''At the Beach With Dad'' (1998)
- ''Just a Bad Day'' (1998)
- ''Just an Easter Egg'' (1998)
- ''Just a Little Different'' (1998)
- ''Just a Magic Trick'' (1998)
- ''Taking Care of Mom'' (1998)
- ''Just Me and My Puppy'' (1998)
- ''Just My Camera and Me'' (1998)
- ''This is My Family'' (1999)
- ''Just a Garden'' (1999)
- ''Little Critter Sleeps Over'' (1999)
- ''Little Critter's Spooky Halloween Party'' (1999)
- ''Little Critter's Backseat Busy Book'' (1999)
- ''Just a Bully'' (1999)
- ''Just a New Neighbor'' (1999)
- ''This is My Body'' (2000)
- ''Just a Toy'' (2000)
- ''Little Critter's The Best Present'' (2000)
- ''Just a Secret'' (2001)
- ''Just a Piggy Bank'' (2001)
- ''Tiger's Birthday'' (2001)
- ''Just a Snowy Vacation'' (2001)
- ''Helping Mom'' (2001)
- ''Camping Out'' (2001)
- ''Professor Wormbog in Search for the Zipperump-A-Zoo'' (2001)
- ''The New Fire Truck'' (2001)
- ''The Mixed-up Morning'' (2001)
- ''No One Can Play'' (2001)
- ''My Trip to the Farm'' (2001)
- ''Beach Day'' (2001)
- ''Play Ball'' (2001)
- ''A Yummy Lunch'' (2001)
- ''My Trip to the Zoo'' (2002)
- ''Just Not Invited'' (2002)
- ''If I Had a Gorilla'' (2002)
- ''Goodnight, Little Critter'' (2002)
- ''One Monster After Another'' (2002)
- ''Show and Tell'' (2002)
- ''Grandma's Garden'' (2002)
- ''Country Fair'' (2002)
- ''Just a Baseball Game'' (2003)
- ''The New Potty'' (2003)
- ''The Little Christmas Tree'' (2003)
- ''Frog Goes to Dinner'' (2003)
- ''One Frog Too Many'' (2003)
- ''Christmas for Miss Kitty'' (2003)
- ''Bubble Bubble'' (2003)
- ''Painting the Seasons with Little Critter'' (2003)
- ''Bye-Bye, Mom and Dad'' (2004)
- ''Just a School Project'' (2004)
- ''Merry Christmas, Little Critter'' (2004)
- ''Just a Snowman'' (2004)
- ''Just a Little Homework'' (2004)
- ''Fun at School with Little Critter'' (2004)
- ''Happy Halloween, Little Critter!'' (2004)
- ''Just Big Enough'' (2004)
- ''We Love You, Little Critter'' (2004)
- ''Play It Safe'' (2004)
- ''Just a Dump Truck'' (2004)
- ''Good For Me and You'' (2004)
- ''Skating Day'' (2004)
- ''Just a Tugboat'' (2004)
- ''Happy Valentine's Day, Little Critter'' (2005)
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