Studio Mail!
Thank you for all the kind letters. Your words mean so much, and it’s always a joy to hear when the work connects with you—that’s what it’s all about!
Dear Ethan Long,
My name is Liam and I’m in third grade. In my class we are doing an author study. We are learning about our favorite book author and I decided to choose you because your books are cool. They have a lot of problems and solutions and it’s quite funny. I have some favorite shows and some questions but first my favorite books. Scribbles and ink the contest …Scribble and Ink clean up the ocean. Big cat and Misspell. My question: Why did you become an author making great books? How many books have you made? That’s it. I also can you make me a book and write me a letter to let me know?
From Liam
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Hi there, Liam!
Thank you for the friendly note! It’s always nice to get these sort of letters from people who love my books!
I became an author because I had something to say and I also wanted to trying to make a career out of my creativity. I had already been an illustrator when I started writing, but making time for practicing writing became a priority. Over time, I became good enough to either author/illustrate or just illustrate over 135 books. Fun, right?
And do you know how many people ask me to make them a book?! 😂 I’m sorry that I do not have the time to do that for you, but just know I will think of you as I write my next ones.
That’s all from here. Once again, thank you for reaching out and good luck with everything in your life! Keep reading and writing (and drawing, if that’s your thing.) 🌞
Best wishes,
Ethan Long
Hi Ethan,
I hope this message finds you well. At Fireflies Childcare we have been looking at books this term, and one of the children's favorite books has been One Drowsy Dragon- it's an amazing book and they can all relate to the dragon! With your permission, we would love to record one of our staff members reading your story for our social media, so our children can listen to it at home with their parents. We would happily direct people to you and your site with all the books you've created. Please can you let me know if it's ok for us to film your book and post it on our instagram, tiktok, Facebook and website?
Thank you so much,
Emily
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Hi Emily,
Thank you so much for the note and the kind words.
Yes! You may record a video of One Drowsy Dragon.
Normally people don’t ask...they just record and post, so it’s a breath of fresh air having someone actually ask for permission. Thank you for that.
Have fun and good luck with it!
With gratitude,
Ethan
Hello, how are you?
My name is Michelle ______. I am a teacher in Perth Amboy, NJ. I have been teaching in the same town & school for 22 years. I am going out on a limb to ask a question. I absolutely love your books. I added the Valentines one and the Fangsgiving one to my wish list to eventually add to my classroom library but I was just reaching out wondering if you would be willing to donate a copy of one of these books to our classroom library? The kids seem to love them. I am currently teaching 3rd grade and I LOVE reading to my class. We read 1-2 stories a day and I feel they are picking up a stronger love of reading .
Every month the students pick their favorite read aloud that I have read over the entire month to find the winner for our classroom. We call it “Bookflix” of the month. Every March I do the same thing but we make it like a tournament of books and each book battles another to make it through to the next bracket. We do this to celebrate March Madness with the NCAA basketball. I am trying to purchase as many books as I can but as you know it becomes incredibly expensive for me to buy all the books I would love to have. I figured I would just try to ask to see if you were interested in donating one of your books . I know the class would really enjoy it . I’m sorry if I overstepped at all, but I thought it didn’t hurt to ask . I hope you enjoy the holiday season. I look forward to hearing from you if you have any time. I love telling my class I spoke to a REAL author . That motivates them to write also! Have a good day and enjoy the upcoming week .
Thank you for considering!
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Hello Michelle!
Thank you so much for reaching out and for your kind words about my books! I’m truly honored to hear that they’ve made it onto your wish list and that your students love their classroom library and your creative “Bookflix” tournaments—what a fantastic way to foster a love of reading!
Unfortunately, I don’t keep copies of my books on hand to donate individually. However, I do prioritize donating to local libraries in my area so they can reach as many readers as possible. I truly admire your dedication to enriching your students’ love for books and their journey as readers.
I hope you’re able to add Valentines and Fangsgiving to your collection soon, and I’m so grateful that you’ve considered including my work in your classroom. Wishing you and your class a wonderful holiday season filled with lots of joy and great stories!
With gratitude,
Ethan Long
Good morning,
My name is Mikeal _________ from Burleson Texas
Im sitting in my living room watching your pbs videos of scribbles and ink with my 6 year old autistic stepson. Its hard to get him to focus on much but these videos are played every morning on repeat because he loves your books. I wanted to thank you and share a little of the joy I feel with you. His favorite book is out of the box because of your voice over and the funny drawling.
Thank you
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Hello Mikeal,
Thanks you so much for the note. It makes my heart sing to hear this about your stepson. We do our best to make engaging content, and it seems to be working. :)
Have a happy and productive 2025!
Best wishes,
Ethan
Dear Ethan Long,
I hope this letter finds you well. My name is Alli, and I am an aspiring teacher currently working as a student teacher in an elementary school. One of my greatest passions is fostering a love of reading in young learners, and your books have been a source of inspiration for me as I prepare to embark on my teaching journey.
As I have explored different author studies, I have seen the powerful impact that learning about an author’s process and experiences can have on students. I would love to share a few words from you with my future students, as I believe hearing directly from an author can make reading even more magical for them. It would mean the world to me—and to the young readers in my classroom—if you could share a brief message, whether it be about your journey as a writer, advice for young readers, or simply a few encouraging words.
Thank you for taking the time to read this letter, and more importantly, thank you for the wonderful stories you bring to life. Your work has inspired so many young minds, and I hope to share that same joy with my students. I truly appreciate your time and consideration, and I look forward to the possibility of sharing your words with my classroom.
I hope to hear from you soon!
Best regards,
Allison _______
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Hello Allison and Company!
Your email made my day and I am happy to give some words of wisdom.
So many blessings have come my way, but I have worked hard to meet those blessings half way. I embrace the struggle of being an artist and creator because that is where the gold is. It is not (always) comfort and joy that brings the best work. So often, it is the struggle of not knowing how the artwork is going to turn out, but doing it anyway. Almost always, that is where I find my inventions and surprises.
If you are a creative person, always find room for it in your life, even for short moments. Creativity is a long game—a winding path—and it is worth the effort in all areas of your life.
Best wishes to you all and be good to yourselves. 🌞
With gratitude,
Ethan Long
Hi Ethan,
My name is Tallulah and I am 5 years old. I live in Alameda, California. I love the Scribbles & Ink games and I was hoping you could make more! Can we please have another where we can dress them up?
Thank you!
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Hi Tallulah!
What a wonderful email to receive on a Monday. Thank you.
We are working hard to make more Scribbles and Ink games and shows for you. We love the idea of dressing them up. So fun!
Keep an eye out for more adventures. For now, you can go to Epic and read stories there!
Best wishes,
Ethan Long
Hello,
In 2021 I reached out to you about my daughter (who was almost 2 at the time) and her cancer journey. She was going through treatments and was exhausted and going through all the things. A few things ended up bringing her joy and Scribbles and Ink was one of them. You were so amazing and drew a picture just for her!!!
As of March this year, she has been 3 years cancer free! She is in Kindergarten and thriving! She ended up coming across your drawing while we were going through some things and her eyes lit up and she was so excited to see her name with Scribbles and Ink!
With all of that said, just wanted to say thank you and I hope Scribble sand Ink (and all the other things) continue to bring children sooooo much joy!!!!
Tiffany _______
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Tiffany!
This is such incredible news! It warms my heart that your daughter is thriving after her long cancer bout. And to know that she still connects with Scribbles and Ink makes me smile too.
Thanks for the note and keep doing what you're doing, Mom. ❤️
With gratitude,
Ethan
Hello!
Many of our students are reading your memoir for Maine's Battle of the Books. We have a question: The Death and Life of Benny Brooks "seems" like it would be mostly funny, but it's actually very sad. What was your thinking in making it so sad? Also, it is rare for a book for kids our age to actually have a parent die in it. Usually the death happens before the book takes place. Was that a difficult decision, to include the death of your parent?
Thank you!
Meg ______ and Fisher ______ 4th and 5th graders, Bath, Maine
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Hello, Meg and Company!
Yes, The Death and Life of Benny Brooks seems like it would be a funny story, and it is at times, but underneath is a lot of sadness. Much of the content was taken from my own life experiences, although the experiences happened over a span of my life, not all at one time like it does in the book. The plan was just to get the story out of my head and down to paper, and it came out with a dark cloud over it, although I did my best to balance all of that out with some comedy.
Thank you for the kind message and I'm grateful for your interest in the book.
Take care and keep reading!
Best wishes,
Ethan
Hi Ethan,
My two children has insisted on writing to you to tell you how much they love your books. Coby (6) and Oliver (4) have fallen in love with the story and the characters in Valensteins and Fangsgiving. They enjoyed Fright Club as well, but the festival cross over really won them over. They'd like to know when you are going to make more holiday stories. (It would be amazing if Fright Club became an animated series, I don't know how we can help with that initiative, but you'd get my endorsement).
They boys also made you paper butts (hearts just like in Valensteins) and they wanted to know if it would be possible to mail them to you or your publisher, in hopes that they would get sent real mail in return. I don't mind sending a self-addressed-stamped-envelope, if that is a possible option.
The kids love your stories, hopefully there will be more to come.
All the best! From your littlest fans.
Kevin_________
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Hi Kevin!
This is such a great note to receive. Thank you.
Coby and Oliver sound like to great little guys and I appreciate the fanboy love.
I am not sure when I will be making more holiday stories, but as far as the monsters go, those three books are probably as many as there will be.
As for the paper butt—the best way I find to collect these is for you to take a picture and email it to me.
That way, I get to see what they created and they get to keep it for posterity's sake. One day, they’ll come across them and say “Oh, I remember those! :)”
Thanks again for the note and take care of that family of yours.
Best wishes,
Ethan Long
And finally… this letter from a student. On the last day as a visiting artist at Evans High School in Orlando, FL in 2019, she handed it to me, walked out and I never saw her again. Miranda, if you are reading this, please reach out so we can connect and I can thank you for such kind words. I’d love to see where your life has taken you.
