HarperCollins Signs Picture Book Deal with Mel Brooks and Carl Reiner

Posted on October 15, 2004

HarperCollins Children's Books has acquired world rights to publish The 2000 Year Old Man Goes to School by comedians, actors, writers and directors Mel Brooks and Carl Reiner. The deal was negotiated by Kate Morgan Jackson, HarperCollins Children's Books Editor-in-Chief, and Byron Preiss Visual Publications, Inc., who is producing the books in collaboration with HarperCollins. The book is scheduled for publication in Spring 2005.

The 2000 Year Old Man Goes to School stars Brooks' and Reiner's classic character, the 2000 Year Old Man, created while working on Sid Caesar's Your Show of Shows with Reiner as an interviewer and Brooks an old-timer born in 40 B.C. In this picture book version pitched for young school children, the 2000 Year Old Man comes to a classroom for an unforgettable show-and-tell exhibit. Through a question and answer session with the children in the class, the 2000 Year Old Man shares his worldly wisdom on everything from what school lunches were like in the Stone Age (terrible -- you had to catch your food before you could eat it!), to how he did his homework (he had to literally build a home!), to how he got around (Fear! When a sabre tooth tiger was after him it made him move very quickly!).

"We are thrilled to be publishing two of the greatest comic geniuses and have the opportunity to introduce children to this world renowned character," said Jackson.

The 2000 Year Old Man Goes to School will be illustrated by New York Times bestselling artist James Bennett, who illustrated Reiner's recent bestseller Tell Me a Scary Story (Little, Brown), and will include a CD of Brooks and Reiner's classic characters.

Byron Preiss Visual Publications, Inc. previously collaborated with HarperCollins on the New York Times bestselling I Already Know I Love You by Billy Crystal as well as the children's books Coat of Many Colors by Dolly Parton and Winners Never Quit by Mia Hamm, which released September 2004.