#FiveMoreThingsYouMayNotKnow About Author #MikeAllegra

/ Marcia Meara

I’m happy to announce that today’s #FiveMoreThings guest is children’s author Mike Allegra. Mike is taking advantage of a chance to share a few more things with us today, and I’m super happy to have him visit. I know you’re going to enjoy Mike’s post, especially when you read about his latest book, so I’m going to turn the floor over to him. Take it away, Mike!

Thanks, Marcia!

Mike, Taking It Away!

My Five More Things You May Not Know About Me List

  • I Have an Alarmingly Large Collection of Mad Magazines

When I was younger, I collected lots of stuff. Cartoon Postage Stamps! 1972 Nixon Reelection Buttons! West German Train Buildings (O Gauge)!

Part of me collected because I loved the thrill of the hunt. Another, larger, part of me collected because I thought selling these collections would make me rich. Long story short, my attic is filled with worthless crap that nobody wants—including me.

But my Mad Magazine collection is a different thing entirely. Oh, how I loooooved Mad. I loved the articles, I loved the artists, I loved predicting the Fold-In without folding it in. Mad spoke to me in a way no other magazine could.

My mom, however, hated Mad. I never understood why she felt this way, but her opinion on the matter was so strong she banned the magazine from our house. This wasn’t the only Mom Rule I disagreed with, but it was the only one I found patently ridiculous. So, in a rare act of childhood rebellion, I snuck issues into my room and cultivated quite a nice little secret collection.

Years later, when Mom softened her views on Mad, I went hog wild. I bought up any issue I could get my mitts on. I now have Rubbermaid containers filled to the brim.

These Mad Magazines, like my other collections, are in my attic. Also like my other collections, they aren’t worth much money. But unlike my other collections, I’m glad I still have them.

  • Organized Religion Got Me Addicted to Coffee

All through high school I was a devoted tea drinker. Every night I’d turn on the TV, select a tall stack of catalogues to parse through, and fire up the kettle. It was a nice way to wind down in the quiet hours before bed.

When I went to college, I planned to continue this ritual—and I did for a time. But shortly after the fall semester began, I discovered a nearby Episcopal church that served a full breakfast to anyone who attended the 8 a.m. Sunday service. I was an Episcopalian, I liked free food, and I didn’t mind being up early on a Sunday. So I went.  

It was a nice service. It was a nice breakfast, too—but no tea bags. Beggars can’t be choosers, of course, so when the reverend offered me some coffee, I accepted a cup. It was the first cup of coffee I had ever tasted. I was hooked from that day to this.

Long story short: God is good.

  • Bert is My Favorite Sesame Street Muppet

As a young’un, I connected with Bert. My obsession with rodents felt oddly similar to Bert’s obsession with pigeons (a.k.a. rats with wings). My weird collections (see above) were just as esoteric and worthless as Bert’s collections (bottlecaps, paperclips, etc.). I admired Bert’s propensity toward tidiness and his dogged refusal to embrace the madness that swirled around him. Was Bert persnickety? Yes, but understandably so. After all, Bert had a pesky roommate who was dumb as a box of hammers.

When I was a kid, I believed that if Bert and I ever met, we would become best friends. I still believe this.

  • I like Polka

I enjoy all kinds of music. This includes Polka, which my wife, Ellen, is convinced is the music Satan pipes into the flaming tar pits of hell.

I understand where she’s coming from, but I can’t help it! Polka is fun! Bouncy! Joyful!

And, on occasion, a wee bit embarrassing.

One time, I borrowed a polka CD from the library. As I was listening to it in my car, my radio died. The disc cracked as I attempted to pull it from the machine. I explained the situation to the librarian and offered to pay for a replacement CD, but the lady just smiled and said, “Oh, there’s no need to do that. I don’t think Frankie Yankovic’s Greatest Hits will be missed all that much.”

That was the day I learned that librarians can be absolutely savage.

  • My Pirate Voice is Terrible

To be more accurate, my pirate voice is awesome for about three minutes. After that, my throat strains and cracks, making my pirate character sound like he’s going through puberty. I need to figure out what to do about this, as I have about three jillion public Pirate & Penguin readings coming up this summer. Pray for me.

Author Mike Allegra

Mike Allegra is the author of 18 books for children including the picture books Scampers Thinks like a Scientist (Dawn, 2019), Everybody’s Favorite Book (Macmillan, 2018), and Sarah Gives Thanks (Albert Whitman and Company, 2012). He also wrote the chapter book series Kimmie Tuttle (Abdo Books, 2021) and Prince Not-So Charming (Macmillan, 2018-19; pen name: Roy L. Hinuss). Scampers was the winner of Learning Magazine’s 2020 Teacher’s Choice Award and was selected for inclusion in the Literati Kids subscription box. His story, “Harold’s Hat,” was the winner of the 2014 Highlights fiction contest and was published in the July 2015 issue.

MIKE’S LATEST RELEASE!

BLURB:

What happens when a pirate, hoping for a parrot, stumbles upon a bird of a duller plumage?

Pirate doesn’t know that Penguin is a penguin. But any bird can sit on a shoulder and squawk “shiver me timbers”…right?

Laugh along with Pirate and Penguin in this high seas tale of mistaken identity and find out whether they’ll find friendship before somebody walks the plank.

You Can Buy Pirate & Penguin HERE

And You Can Pick Up One of My Favorites,
Sleepy Happy Capy Cuddles
HERE

See More of Mike’s Books
On  His Author Page

Reach  Mike on Social Media Here:
Website
Facebook
Amazon Author Page 

98 thoughts on “#FiveMoreThingsYouMayNotKnow About Author #MikeAllegra”

  4. Fun post and lovely to get to learn more about Mike and his books. I’m off to check out these reads now, as I’m in review mode for kid’s reads right now, so perfect timing! Thanks for sharing, Marcia. Hugs to you both 🤗💕🙂

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  6. Brilliant! My family would tell you that I’m less of a collector and more a hoarder! One of my favourite scenes from Sesame Stree was when Ernie sang that song about dancing himself to sleep. I really felt for Bert! Good luck with the pirate voice. I understand the accent’s all down to Robert Newton (with a pronounced Dorset accent) playing Long John Silver – since then you need to develop that aaarrrrrr to sound properly authentic. Regardless, I’m certain that you and your audience will have a wonderful time. Many thanks to both of you. Hugs

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    • Love your comment, Trish. So many good points, I don’t know where to start! And yes, I can definitely hear Long John Silver in my mind, going “Aaaarrrr,” only now I’m picturing him with a penguin on his shoulder, trying to teach it to be a parrot! (I really can’t wait to read this book to my granddaughter! 😀 )

      So glad you enjoyed Mike’s post today, and thanks for stopping by to share your thoughts with us. Have a great rest of the day, my friend! 😀 ❤

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  8. Great list! My brother and I used to love Mad Magazine when we were growing up.

    I wonder if there are any Episcopal churches around here that do free breakfast like that. I might be more inclined to go to morning service if so.

    And in the words of Harry Dresden (of The Dresden Files), “polka will never die.” 😁

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    • Hahahaha … I love your Dresden quote, Jeanne! Perfect for Mike! And so glad you enjoyed Mike’s post today, too. I thought it was nothing short of brilliant, as I thoroughly enjoy his sense of humor.

      Thanks so much for stopping by and sharing your thoughts, and here’s to a great rest of your day! 😀 ❤

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  9. A fun post, Mike and Marcia! I remember MAD Magazine. My brother used to read it. My mother hated them.

    I’m a tea drinker (iced tea) and I’ve yet to be converted to coffee. Nice getting to know more about you, Mike.

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    • So glad you enjoyed Mike’s post, Joan, and somehow, I’m not surprised you also enjoyed MAD Magazine. (Me, too.) As for tea, it’s the ONLY thing I drink besides water. I gave up even the occasional glass of wine when I developed diabetes, but as long as I can have my Earl Grey every day, I’m good to go. 😀

      Thanks so much for stopping by this morning and taking the time to say hello! Hope you’re having a great Wednesday! 😀 ❤

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  10. NOTE TO ALL: Mike has jury duty this morning, so he will be a bit late responding to your comments. But never fear! He’ll get here as soon as he can. In the meantime, I’m glad to see you guys are enjoying Mike’s Five Things list, and thanks so much for visiting TWS today!
    😀 ❤

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  12. This was a fun read, Mike. I love the story about how you started drinking coffee. I think your pastor is very wise. 😊 Thank you, Marcia, for sharing Mike with us today. Besides the laughter, I now have some good leads for children’s books. YAY! 🤗

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    • So glad you enjoyed Mike’s list, Gwen. I love his sense of humor, and if you are looking for great children’s books, look no further. My 5-year-old granddaughter absolutely adores Sleepy Happy Capy Cuddles, which we gave her last Christmas, and I know she’s going to love Pirate & Penguin just as much.

      Thanks for stopping by today and taking a moment to share your thoughts, and here’s to a great rest of the day! 🤗❤️🤗

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  13. Mike’s books look delightful and I’m sure his sense of humour comes through. Nothing wrong with liking polka, or Mad Magazine for that matter. My first husband loved Mad Magazine but that’s not why I left him.

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  16. Mike always gets me chuckling. I love Mad Magazine, Mike. As a kid, my brothers and I had a stack of them that we’d read over and over again all summer long. And I get why you didn’t have to replace the polka CD. Aaargh! I’m with Ellen and the librarian on that one. Lol. Another great post. Thanks for hosting, Marcia.

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  17. A lovely visit with Mike. Thanks, Marcia. I too loved Mad magazine and bought the first copy and every copy up to the 8th grade. Somehow after that, I got really busy and turned to other things. I would occasionally check back and was always glad I did.

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    • It’s always a pleasure to have Mike visiting here, John, and I’m glad you enjoyed his post today. Seems like a lot of us have fond memories of laughing our way through the latest edition of MAD Magazine. I can’t save I ever saved them, though I now wish I had, but I sure did look forward to them.

      Thanks so much for stopping by today and taking a few minutes to say hello! Have a great afternoon! 😀

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  18. I was a fan of Mad Magazine too 🙂 I like how you swtiched to coffee and cant disagree withbyour choice of Bert. Fun answers and I will be checking the pirate book. Sounds fun!

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    • Seems like MAD Magazine was pretty popular with many of us, Denise. Glad you were a fan, too, and happy you enjoyed Mike’s post today. I’m looking forward to reading the Pirate & Penguin, too, as I know how wonderful Sleepy Happy Capy Cuddles was.

      Thanks for stopping by today and taking a moment to share your thoughts! Have a great rest of the day! 😀 ❤

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  21. Avast, my good fellow. A wonderful read that took us from an obsession with Mad Magazine through the conversion to coffee and a heartfelt connection with Bert to Polka. As an ex-folk dancer, I understand how you could like a good Polka.

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    • Seems like a lot of us were MAD fans, Teri, and with good reason, I might add. 😀 Mike’s books really are wonderful, and he’s a super nice guy, too. And did I mention funny? I do love anyone who makes me laugh, and he always does.

      Thanks so much for stopping by and taking a moment to say hello! Have a great weekend, my friend! 😀 ❤

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  24. Pingback: Smorgasbord Blog Magazine – Blogger Spotlight 2nd June 2023 – #Genres #Links Traci Kenworth, #Guestpost Marcia Meara, #Review Olga Nunez Miret, #Graffiti Rebecca Budd, Review Harmony Kent | Smorgasbord Blog Magazine

    • Mike does Silly in the very best of ways, doesn’t he? I never fail to get a laugh from his guest visits and from stopping by his blog, too. Glad you enjoyed his post, and around here I’M the mom who loved MAD Magazine. 😂

      Thanks so much for stopping by, Liz, and for taking a moment to let us know your thoughts. Have a great weekend! 😀 ❤

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    • Glad you enjoyed Mike’s post, Robbie. He’s always a fun guest, and I agree about the coffee intro. (Nothing like having your breakfast and morning coffee blessed! 😀 )

      Thanks for stopping by and taking a moment to say hello! 😀 ❤

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    • Glad you enjoyed Mike’s 5 More Things, Sue, but don’t worry about his lack of respect for tea … I love it enough for both of us! It’s the ONLY thing I drink other than water, though my cardiologist did make me switch to decaf now. (Except for one small cup of “fully leaded” first thing in the morning.) But I even love DECAF tea. I have a whole countertop full of flavors. So, see? I’m taking up the slack. 😀 😀 😀

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      • LOL. Me too! I don’t drink pop, alcohol, or anything else. I normally drink cold tea as opposed to hot (although I will sometimes), but that’s just because it makes me too hot.

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