Robert Norman Munsch (born June 11, 1945) is an American-born Canadian children's author. Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, he moved to Canada in 1975 to work at the University of Guelph. His unique storytelling style comes from interactively developing stories with children, taking events from their lives and experience and greatly exaggerating them into the realm of the ridiculous and sometimes fantastical. He has received a Juno Award, induction into the Order of Canada, a star in Canada's Walk of Fame, and has two public schools in Ontario named after him. His books have sold millions of copies, and he has the dubious honour of being the most stolen author in the Toronto Public Library system.
Early life and education
Robert Munsch was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on June 11, 1945. He grew up in a family of nine children.
Career
When Munsch was 18, he studied to become a Jesuit priest in Westchester County, New York. After volunteering at an orphanage as part of his training, he decided he would rather work with children. He studied early childhood education at Tufts University. Upon graduating in 1973, he worked at a day care in Jamaica Plain neighborhood of Boston, and learned that he could "get the kids to shut up during nap time by telling them stories". It has since sold over 30 million copies and has been featured on the episode "The One With the Cake" from the NBC television show Friends, as well as being mentioned by talk show host Oprah Winfrey on Late Night with David Letterman as being her favourite children's book. Munsch's other famous book, The Paper Bag Princess, has sold over seven million copies and is considered to be a feminist story, as well as a literary classic.
In 1991, some of his books were adapted into an animated TV series A Bunch of Munsch, made in Montreal and airing on pay TV channels.
Personal life
Munsch and his wife, Ann, have been married since the early 1970s. The couple has three children via adoption. They live in Guelph, Ontario.
Munsch has obsessive–compulsive disorder and bipolar disorder. In August 2008, he suffered a stroke that temporarily affected his ability to speak. In 2009, he revealed that he was in recovery for alcoholism and a cocaine addiction that had started in 2005, and at the time of the announcement he was four months sober.
On October 2, 2021, Munsch announced that he had been diagnosed with dementia and could no longer write. He received approval for medical assistance in dying in September 2025 after applying five years prior, following his diagnosis. His daughter clarified that the approval did not mean his death was imminent. In December 2025, Munsch revealed that he had about 50 unpublished stories, and hopes to release one per year following his death.
Awards and honours
In 1985, Munsch won a Juno Award for his portrayal of "Murmel, Murmel, Munsch: More Outrageous Stories". In 1992, he was also chosen "Author of the Year" by the Canadian Booksellers' Association. Two public schools in Ontario are named after Munsch: the Robert Munsch Public School in Whitby, Ontario, and the Robert Munsch Public School in Mount Albert, Ontario.
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| 1996 || Stephanie's Ponytail || rowspan="2"|Michael Martchenko ||
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| 1997 || Alligator Baby || || rowspan="16"| Cartwheel
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| rowspan="2"|1998 || Get Out of Bed || Alan Daniel & Lea Daniel ||
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| Andrew's Loose Tooth || rowspan="2"|Michael Martchenko ||
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| 1999 || We Share EVERYTHING! ||
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| rowspan="2"|2000 || Aaron's Hair || Alan Daniel & Lea Daniel ||
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| Mmm, Cookies || rowspan="5"| Michael Martchenko ||
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| rowspan="2"|2001 || Up, Up, Down ||
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| Makeup Mess ||
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| rowspan="3"|2002 || More Pies ||
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| Playhouse ||
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| Ribbon Rescue || Eugenie Fernandes ||
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| rowspan="2"|2003 || Lighthouse || Janet Wilson ||
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| Zoom || rowspan="11" |Michael Martchenko ||
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| rowspan="2"|2004 || Boo! ||
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| Smelly Socks ||
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| 2005 || The Sandcastle Contest||
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| rowspan="3"|2006 || Deep Snow || || Scholastic
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| I'm So Embarrassed!|| || Cartwheel
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| No Clean Clothes || || rowspan="4"| Scholastic
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| 2007 || Class Clown ||
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| rowspan="4" |2008 || Just One Goal! ||
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| Look at Me! ||
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| Kiss Me, I'm Perfect!|| || Cartwheel
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| The Ocean Goes on Forever ||Jay Odjick|| ||
|Originally published only in Ojibway. Published in English and French in Munsch Mania compilation
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| rowspan="3" |2009 || Down the Drain || rowspan="2"|Michael Martchenko || || rowspan="29" | Scholastic
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| Roar!||
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| Braids!
|Dave Whamond ||
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|rowspan="2"|2010 || Put Me in a Book
| rowspan="13" |Michael Martchenko ||
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| Too Much Stuff! ||
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| rowspan="3" |2011 || Moose! ||
| One of the books later became a Holiday Special television series.
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| Give Me Back My Dad! ||
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|Neversink School and Other Silly Poems
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| rowspan="2" |2012
| Finding Christmas ||
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| It's My Room! ||
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| rowspan="2" | 2013 || Seeing Red! ||
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| Swamp Water ||
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| rowspan="2" |2014 || Hugs||
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| Pyjama Day! ||
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|2015 || Ready, Set, Go! ||
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|2016 || So Much Snow! ||
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| rowspan="2" |2017 || Blackflies || Jay Odjick ||
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| The Enormous Suitcase || rowspan="3" | Michael Martchenko ||
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| 2018 || Moving Day! ||
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| rowspan="3" | 2019 || Sounds Like Christmas ||
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|Bear for Breakfast || Jay Odjick ||
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|School Rules! || Dave Whamond ||
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|2020
|Teamwork
| rowspan="2" |Michael Martchenko
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| rowspan="2" |2021
|I Can Fix It!
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|Think Big!
|Dave Whamond
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|2022
|Leaves!
| rowspan="4" |Michael Martchenko
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|2023
|Class Trip
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|2024
| Bounce!
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|2025
|The Perfect Paper Airplane
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Compilations
{| class="wikitable sortable" class="wikitable"
! Year
! Title
! ISBN
! scope="col" style="width: 240px;" |Stories Included
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| 1998 || Munschworks: The First Munsch Collection || || <small>The Paper Bag Princess • I Have to Go! • David's Father • The Fire Station • Thomas' Snowsuit</small>
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| 1999 || Munschworks 2: The Second Munsch Treasury || || <small>Pigs • Purple, Green and Yellow • Mortimer • Murmel, Murmel, Murmel • Something Good</small>
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| 2000 || Munschworks 3: The Third Munsch Treasury || || <small>Stephanie's Ponytail • Angela's Airplane • Jonathan Cleaned Up - Then He Heard a Sound • Show and Tell • A Promise Is a Promise</small>
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| 2001 || Munschworks Grand Treasury || || <small>The Paper Bag Princess • The Fire Station • I Have to Go! • David's Father • Thomas' Snowsuit • Pigs • Mortimer • Purple, Green and Yellow • Murmel, Murmel, Murmel • Something Good • Stephanie's Ponytail • Angela's Airplane • Jonathan Cleaned Up - Then He Heard a Sound • Show and Tell • A Promise Is a Promise</small>
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| 2002 || Munschworks 4: The Fourth Munsch Treasury || || <small>Moira's Birthday • From Far Away • 50 Below Zero • The Boy in the Drawer • Millicent and the Wind</small>
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| 2004 || Munsch More! || || <small>Alligator Baby • Andrew's Loose Tooth • Get Out of Bed • Mmm, Cookies! • Ribbon Rescue • Deep Snow</small>
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| 2006|| Murmel Murmel Munsch!<br><small>(audio CD)</small> || || <small>Mud Puddle • Pigs! • Boo! • Kendro's Braids • Squished Squash • I'm So Embarrassed! • Lacey's Kiss • Murmel, Murmel, Murmel • Flowers on My Jeans • Andrew's Loose Tooth • Something Good • Victoria's Lunch • Makeup Mess • Zoom!</small>
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| 2007 || Much More Munsch! || || <small>We Share Everything! • Aaron's Hair • Up, Up, Down • Makeup Mess • Playhouse • Collection of poems</small>
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| 2010 || Mad About Munsch! || || <small>More Pies! • Zoom! • Smelly Socks • Boo! • The Sandcastle Contest • Braids</small>
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| 2010 || Munsch Mini-Treasury One || || <small>Angela's Airplane • The Paper Bag Princess • 50 Below Zero • Pigs • A Promise Is a Promise</small>
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| 2010 || Munsch Mini-Treasury Two || || <small>Stephanie's Ponytail • The Fire Station • I Have to Go! • Moira's Birthday • Thomas' Snowsuit</small>
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| 2013|| Munsch Mania! || || <small>Class Clown • I'm So Embarrassed! • Just One Goal! • Look at Me! • No Clean Clothes • The Ocean Goes on Forever</small>
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| 2014 || Munsch Mini-Treasury Three || || <small>David's Father • Mortimer • Purple, Green and Yellow • Show and Tell • Something Good</small>
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| 2019|| Marvellous Munsch! || || <small>Down the Drain! • Put Me in a Book! • Too Much Stuff! • Moose! • Give Me Back My Dad! • Hugs</small>
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| 2020|| A Bunch of Munsch! || || <small>Pyjama Day! • Seeing Red • Swamp Water • It’s My Room! • Roar! • Blackflies</small>
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| 2023|| Munsch-a-thon! || || <small>Ready, Set, Go! • So Much Snow! • The Enormous Suitcase • Get Me Another One! • Moving Day! • Bear for Breakfast</small>
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| 2023|| 5 Tremendously Silly Munsch Stories || || <small>The Paper Bag Princess • Angela's Airplane • Thomas' Snowsuit • Stephanie's Ponytail • Show and Tell </small>
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| 2024|| The Big Green Book of Munsch Books || || <small>The Paper Bag Princess • David's Father • Purple, Green and Yellow • 50 Below Zero • I Have to Go! </small>
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| 2025|| The Big Red Book of Munsch Books || || <small>Pigs • Angela's Airplane • Wait and See • The Fire Station • Jonathan Cleaned Up - Then He Heard a Sound </small>
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| 2025|| 5 Absolutely Outrageous Munsch Stories || || <small>Mortimer • Pigs • Something Good • Moira's Birthday • The Boy in the Drawer </small>
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| 2026|| 5 Extraordinarily Zany Munsch Stories || || <small>Murmel, Murmel, Murmel • I Have to Go! • The Fire Station • Wait and See • David's Father </small>
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References
External links
- Video interview at AuthorViews
- Robert Munsch at publisher Annick Press