My Barrel of Monkeys Link:

I always knew my grandfather invented Barrel of Monkeys, but, to be honest, there wasn't much more that he shared about his contributions.   Some I shared this fact with questioned whether he really was one of the inventors. After all, he wasn't on the Wikipedia game page.   So I decided to bring the game's page into the 21st century - to include my grandfather's name and the others that influenced this iconic game's history.  

 In late 2014, Milton Dinhofer, recounted the details of how Barrel of Monkeys came to market, and he shared his original drawings, original game links, prototypes, press, royalty statements and other business0-related documents. All had been kept in a dusty box for a very long time.   While going through it, we discovered 2015  would mark the game's 50th anniversary.   It all started to seem like more than just a Wikipedia entry.   In 2015, TheToy Book  (the leading toy industry magazine) published my story of his contributions in their February/March print issue.  In addition to it notifying the industry of the game's anniversary, it was a first-time telling of how it came to market in early 1965.   If you are a sucker for nostalgia, you can read an online, unedited  version  here.   Hasbro (the game's current parent company) wasn't even aware of the game's age.  Once they learned of it, they did a Facebook shout out to my grandfather  and the game.  My grandfather's alma mater even followed by running an article about him and his many other cool inventions (including the first patented plastic straw!).  I did eventually get to updated the  the game's Wikipedia page.  In the process,  though, I got to know my grandfather better, and now anyone else can too.  To see the many creative ways people are inspired by the game since, check out my Pinterest page  here
-Tracy

Click here to request more information about Milton Dinhofer.

Festivals & Readings:

October 4 2015                      Orange County Children's Book Festival               Costa Mesa, CA info
                                                                                                                               Booth #18,  Storyteller Stage 3:20pm with signing after
January 8-12 2016                                     American Library Association                           Boston, MA
                                  Midwinter  Meeting &  E xhibits
                                    She Yelled will be featured at the Foreword's Indie Press  Collective  Booth
March 6 2016                                                      St. Jude Medical Center's ShamRock'nRun                  Anaheim, CA info
                                                                                                                              Reading & Signing at Kids'nSmiles booth
​April 9, 2016                                       Los Angeles Times Festival of Books                                   Los Angeles, CA
                                                   SCBWI booth
April 18,2016                                                               Studio Art Center/Maryland Institute College of Art    Florence, Italy


                   

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