Jan Wahl

Jan Boyer Wahl (born April 1st, 1933) is primarily known as a prolific and award winning U.S. children's book author, with over 100 volumes to his credit. Wahl sometimes refers to himself as "Dr. Mouse," a nickname given him by a young fan.

Jan (pronounced "Yahn") Wahl was born in Columbus, Ohio. His father was physician Russell Rothenberger, and his mother was Nina Marie Boyer Wahl. His brother Phil Wahl was the real-life inspiration for the character played by Bill Murray in the film Lost In Translation (2003). Another brother, Robert, has also authored novels and children's books.

Wahl is also well known as a historian and collector of old films. For over a decade he has presented introductory lectures for the Sunday Classic Film Series at the Dorothy and Lillian Gish Film Theater and Museum at Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, Ohio, averaging six presentations a year.

Wahl's career has been both varied and adventurous. Included among his exploits is spending several months working with noted filmmaker Carl Theodor Dreyer during the filming of Ordet (The Word). Later he was the personal secretary to Isak Dinesen (Karen Blixen); and was also involved with Keith Lampe in the early days of the Yippies. In addition, he was an on-set script doctor (uncredited) for The Wrath of God (1972) starring Robert Mitchum and Rita Hayworth during its filming in Mexico and was an early consultant on what became Fraggle Rock).

Selected works

Note: Many of Wah's books have been reprinted, some multiple times.

Pleasant Fieldmouse (1964) (illustrated by Maurice Sendak) (Pleasant Fieldmouse series)
Hello Elephant (1964)
Cabbage Moon (1965) (Republished in 1999 with new artwork)
Pocahontas In London (1967)
Cobweb Castle (1968)
The Furious Flycycle (1968)
How the Children Stopped the Wars (1969)
The Norman Rockwell Storybook (1969)
Doctor Rabbit (1970) (Doctor Rabbit series)
The Wonderful Kite (1970)
The Six Voyages of Pleasant Fieldmouse (1971) (Pleasant Fieldmouse series)
Magic Heart (1972)
Grandmother Told Me (1972) (illustrated by Mercer Mayer)
S.O.S. Bobomobile (1975) (sequel to The Furious Flycycle)
The Clumpets Go Sailing (1975) (illustrated by Cyndy Szekeres)
Pleasant Fieldmouse's Halloween Party (1976) (Pleasant Fieldmouse series)
Doctor Rabbit's Foundling (1977) (Doctor Rabbit series)
Jamie's Tiger (1978)
Pleasant Fieldmouse Story Book (1978) (Pleasant Fieldmouse series)
Sylvester Bear Overslept (1979) (illustrated by Lee Lorenz)
Pleasant Fieldmouse's Valentine Trick (1979) (Pleasant Fieldmouse series)
Frankenstein's Dog (1980)
Dracula's Cat (1981)
Doctor Rabbit's Lost Scout (1988) (Doctor Rabbit series)
The Golden Christmas Tree (1988)
The Wizard of Oz Movie Storybook (1989)
TailyPo! (1991)
Little Eight John (1992)
Rosa's Parott (1999)
The Fieldmouse and the Dinosaur Named Sue (2000)
Elf Night (2002)
Humphrey's Bear (2005)
Candy Shop (2005)
Bear Dance (2008)
Through a Lens Darkly (2009) (Wahl's autobiographical memoirs)
Dear Stinkpot: Letters from Louise Brooks (2010)
The Art Collector (2011)
The Screeching Door: Three Spooky Tales (2011) (reprint with new story)
Carl Theodor Dreyer and Ordet (2012)