Bernard Wiseman

Bernard Wiseman (26 August 1922 – 11 January 1995) was an American author and illustrator of children's books along with cartoons for adults. Between 1958 and 1995, Wise wrote and illustrated dozens of humorous picture books including the popular Morris and Boris series.

Life

Wiseman was born in the Canarsie section of Brooklyn, New York on August 26, 1922, to Abraham Z. Wiseman and Yetta Goldtein Wiseman. Wiseman was interested in drawing cartoons from a young age and was the art director for his high school yearbook.

In the series, Morris and his friend Boris the Bear experience numerous Abbott and Costello-style adventures. The books are noted for using simple puns, repeated misunderstandings, and "the escalating antagonism between the bright but ignorant Morris, who takes everything literally, and the impatient ever-explaining Boris." While Boris is frequently infuriated by Morris, the books end happily "with the friends having a good laugh."

In 1989, Churchill Films released a stop-motion animated adaptation of Morris Goes to School, which was noted for emphasizing to children the positive advantages of learning to read and write. Four years later, the studio released a cartoon based on Morris Has a Cold.

Critical reception

Wiseman's picture books were noted for their comedy-team dynamic, with his stories about Morris the Moose and Boris the Bear being called "absolutely hilarious" by Joseph Stanton. School Library Journal said of the book Morris and Boris that the dialogue was "reminiscent of a Smothers Brothers routine, and the exuberant cartoon illustrations will keep young readers giggling."

Wiseman's book Morris the Moose was praised by philosopher Gareth Matthews, who called the book a "delightful thought experiment" and added that "The plot of this little story could hardly be simpler; yet the questions it raises are very profound." Matthews observed that the book covered the distinction "between essential and accidental properties" and that "whimsical questions" of the sort posed in Morris the Moose "can serve to introduce a thoughtful discussion of the practical and philosophical problems of taxonomy." Wiseman's book has also been analyzed as an example of how to demonstrate philosophical logic to children because Morris draws a false conclusion from true premises, namely believing a cow is actually a moose because they both have four legs, a tail and horns.