Walter R. Brooks was an American editor and author best known for his children's book series Freddy the Pig. In addition to the 26 Freddy books, Brooks created the character Mr. Ed the Talking Horse.
Walter Rollin Brooks was born in Rome, New York. He attended the University of Rochester and worked in journalism and advertising before beginning his career as a writer.
In 1911 Walter’s two maiden aunts, Rhoda and Lucy, died within a month of each other. Walter came into a considerable amount of money. At least he later wrote that, for some reason, he "retired" about that time.
Brooks debuted a sonnet called Haunted, published in Century magazine in 1915.
Perhaps, Brooks is best known for his work as a children's author. In 1927, he published To and Again, the first book in the Freddy the Pig series, which followed the adventures of a clever and adventurous pig named Freddy.
The series proved incredibly popular, with 26 books published between 1927 and 1958. Brooks' humorous and engaging writing style made the series popular with young readers.
Walter R. Brooks wrote 34 short stories for adults between 1915 and 1934. He began selling stories to Esquire and hit his stride as a short story writer. Brooks wrote 180 narratives, including 25 featuring a talking horse named Ed.
Walter R. Brooks also published one novel for adults, Ernestine Takes Over (Morrow 1935), and a guidebook, New York: An Intimate Guide (Knopf 1931). His other book, The Romantic Liars, was serialized in Country Gentleman magazine in 1925 but was never published in hardcover.
Brooks passed away in 1958 at 72, but his legacy lives on through his beloved books.
