page_title: Mr. Peabody's Apples
section_title: Background and conception
hierarchical_section_title: Mr. Peabody's Apples / Background and conception
caption_attribution_description: English: Author Loren Long at the 2017 Texas Book Festival.
context_page_description: Mr. Peabody's Apples is a picture book written by American entertainer Madonna, released on November 10, 2003, by Callaway Arts & Entertainment. The book contains a moral tale, which was inspired by a 300 year-old story by Rabbi Baal Shem Tov, that Madonna had heard from her Kabbalah teacher. Its main protagonist, Mr. Peabody is subjected to rumors spread by a young boy and teaches him a lesson. Mr. Peabody's Apples is illustrated by Loren Long who took inspiration from American regionalist painters, and modeled the characters after real-life people.
  Mr. Peabody's Apples was released in over 150 countries and 36 languages worldwide. It was Madonna's second children book authored by her, following The English Roses. She partnered with Audible stores and Apple Music for promotion, and also appeared on US talk shows. Critics gave mostly negative review of the book, panning the storytelling and the absence of joy in it. The book debuted at number one on The New York Times Best Seller list.
context_section_description: In 2003, American singer Madonna signed a contract with Callaway Arts & Entertainment and released her first children's book as an author, The English Roses, which was translated into 42 different languages over 100 countries. The book debuted at number one on The New York Times Best Seller list, spending a total of 18 weeks there. Following the success of The English Roses, Madonna worked on her second book, Mr. Peabody's Apples. In the acknowledgement section, Madonna dedicated the book to "teachers everywhere", while including a moral about the how to choose one's words carefully and the effects of it. She explained that Mr. Peabody's Apples was inspired by a 300 year-old story by rabbi Baal Shem Tov that she heard from her Kabbalah teacher, and wanted to share the "essence" of it in her second release.
  Callaway and Madonna wanted the story to be set in the 1940s, during a day in the life of a small town told in a cinematic style. An article in The Times described it as evoking "the highly moral world of Jimmy Stewart and It's a Wonderful Life, of apple pie, picket fences, Little League baseball, milkshakes and—of course—of right and wrong". The pictures were illustrated by Loren Long whose main inspiration was American regionalist artists and conventional realism. Long based Mr. Peabody on a car mechanic who lived in his hometown of Joplin, Missouri while Billy Little was based on his own son Griffith. For illustrating Tommy Tittlebottom as the main antagonist, Long used local resident Jonathan Whitney as a model, after seeing his mischievous nature, comparing him the cartoon character Dennis the Menace. Whitney's mother initially had reservations permitting Long to use her son, but agreed due to "Madonna's reputation as a mother".
  Mr. Peabody's Apples was released on November 10, 2003, in over 150 countries and 36 languages worldwide. For the release of the book, Madonna partnered with Audible online stores and Apple Music. It included two interviews with the singer on Radio KOL, and a teaser clip of Madonna narrating the story on AOL. The initial print-run of the book was 130,000 according to The Bookseller magazine. Publisher Nicholas Callaway said that the book would be simultaneously launched on online, print and audio media stores. Madonna appeared at different events, including the book fair at Montclair Kimberley Academy, to launch the book, and read excerpts from it in front of a live audience. She also appeared on television talk shows like The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Live with Kelly and Ryan and Late Show with David Letterman to promote the book.
caption: Loren Long illustrated the book
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