Merrill Rainey :: How Now Booking

“Merrill’s interactive session had the kids creating with paper, scissors, and glue, and they were absolutely captivated by his big cardboard James the Dinosaur. His hands-on activities brought a new level of excitement and engagement, making it an unforgettable experience for everyone involved.” -Beth Emmons Early Learning Specialist Frankenmuth Wickson District Library

“He was fabulous! I was so impressed with how interactive he is with the children. If they weren’t a fan of his when he began, they certainly were by the time he left. He took time to talk to each child that approached him and even brought lots of swag to hand out.” -Rikki Unterbrink, Youth Services Director, Shelby County Libraries

Growing up, Merrill Rainey (he/him) (littlerainey.com) spent most of his Saturday afternoons drawing, watching monster movies, and going on imaginary adventures. Today, he is a cowboy-boot-wearing, picture-book-creator, and paper-toy-maker. Merrill’s work focuses on exploring creativity and imaginative play. Whether he is working with traditional or digital mediums, Merrill’s work is full of deep storytelling, rich textures, and a wonderful sense of color! His current titles include Giants Are Very Brave People (2023 Cybils Awards nominee) written by Florence Parry Heide, Roar! I’m a Dinosaur (winner of the Good Housekeeping Best Kids’ Board Book of 2022), Oink! I’m a Pig, and the Color, Cut, Create series. His newest title My First Town: A Building Block Book is a modern take on the classic children’s building block toys. My First Town empowers children to know that if they can fold a sheet of paper four times to create a block, and add a little bit of creativity and ingenuity, then they can build anything! He also works for many children’s magazines like Highlights, Ranger Rick, and Humpty Dumpty. Merrill’s workshop is located in Whitehouse, Ohio, where he doodles away with his very opinionated coworker, his pup!

Click here to purchase signed copies of Merrill’s books.