Todd Mack Biography

children: Caroline, John.

Addresses

Office—P.O. Box 193, Southfield, MA 01259. Agent—Charisse Meloto, Scholastic, Inc. 557 Broadway, New York, NY 10012.

Career

Musician, producer, and writer. Singer-songwriter with bands The Griswolds and Cosmic Gypsies, beginning c. 1990s; Holed up Studio, Atlanta, GA, producer, until 1998; songwriter for Cosmic Gypsies, 1991–; Off the Beat-n-Track (recording studio), co-founder and producer of Off the Beat-n-Track Radio Show, 2001–. Recordings include Todd Mack, 1989, Looking for Leon, 1994, (with the Griswolds) Texas Saved Her Soul, 1995, (with the Griswolds) Sparky's Revenge, 1997, and Yonder the Big Blue Holler, 2005.

Writings

Princess Penelope, illustrated by Julia Gran, Scholastic Press (New York, NY), 2003.

Princess Penelope Takes Charge!, illustrated by Julia Gran, Scholastic (New York, NY), 2005.

A Baby for Princess Penelope, illustrated by Julia Gran, Scholastic (New York, NY), 2006.

Author's work has been translated into French.

Sidelights

Musician and record producer Todd Mack was inspired to write his first book for children while playing the role of stay-at-home dad to his young daughter, Caroline. In addition to juggling full-time parenting and his work as a songwriter and music studio owner, Mack found the time to write Princess Penelope, after watching the uppity antics of his imaginative young daughter. The literary muse has continued to strike as Mack's family has grown, and the spunky Penelope has appeared in several more books, including Princess Penelope Takes Charge! and A Baby for Princess Penelope, the latter which reflects the addition of a new member toMack's real-life family.

Princess Penelope introduces readers to a young girl who is absolutely, unquestionably convinced that she truly is a princess. The king and queen—otherwise known as her parents—dote on her constantly; she is conveyed in style in her own chariot—her stroller—whenever she ventures out for fresh air; and at home a variety of thrones await her, including a special highchair and her very own potty chair. Mack's tongue-in-cheek tale about the demanding but amusing little girl, illustrated in princess-pink tones by Julie Gran, was praised by several critics, a Kirkus Reviews contributor dubbing the book "whimsical" and noting that "imaginative princess wannabes will consider [Penelope] … a kindred spirit." While Shelle Rosenfeld wrote in a Booklist review that the book's "art and subtle humor may draw more adults than kids," a Publishers Weekly critic thoroughly enjoyed Mack's debut, stating that the author's young character "strikes the right balance between brash and endearing, as does the interplay between text and art."