Brian P. Cleary (born October 1, 1959) is an American humorist, poet, and author. He is best known for his books written for grade-school children that explore grammar in humorous ways; he also controls a line of gift books for grownups. He is the senior editor for digital content at American Greetings, and his greetings have been performed by Dolly Parton, Christina Aguilera, Smokey Robinson, William Shatner, Meghan Trainor and others.

Early life, education and career

Cleary was born in Lakewood, Ohio, one of nine children, attended elementary school in three different states (Kansas, Minnesota and Ohio) and graduated from Saint Ignatius High School, a Jesuit boys-only Jesuit high school in Cleveland, Ohio. He graduated from John Carroll University with a degree in communications in 1982. Since 1982, he has worked for American Greetings Corporation—one of the largest creative divisions in the world—where he is currently the senior editor, working on greeting cards, songs, and electronic greetings. He has toured more than 500 elementary schools in the U.S. and Europe as a visiting author making presentations to students and staff.

Writing

Cleary created the best-selling "Words are CATegorical" series for grade school readers, a 27-volume set with more than 3 million copies in print published by Lerner Publishing Group. Kirkus Reviews praised his book on Adjectives, as, "Neat, clever, commnendable, and groovy." " He has also written humor essays for national and local magazines and newspapers. His cartoon writings have been published in more than 600 newspapers worldwide. His books have sold more than 3 million copies worldwide. His poetry has been anthologized alongside Jack Prelutsky, Kenn Nesbitt, and Lemony Snicket in a collection tilted "One Minute Till Bedtime," published by Little, Brown Books, 2016. Cleary's literary influences include Ogden Nash, Shel Silverstein, and E.E. Cummings.

Awards

"Words are CATegorical" Series

Cleary's best-selling "Words are CATegorical" series include 27 titles, published from 1999 to 2015.

"Sounds Like Reading" Series

An 8-book series written for 1st graders and "English as second language" students, published in 2009.

"Math is CATegorical" Series

A 7-book series that introduces math concepts to 3rd graders.

Work Appearing in Poetry Anthology

Other Lerner Book Titles

Books for Adults