My name is John Burnor and this is Mirth and Company.

These stories began when our first son, Calvin, asked me to tell him a story about him and a bear (after reading Brown Bear, Brown Bear for the millionth time). Night after night he'd ask for the story and it would get tweaked and lengthened and filled in until he was specifically asking for Calvin and the Big, Brown Bear.

After that, I would find myself making up all kinds of stories covering Calvin and his friends to super heroes, from fantasy stories of monsters to science fiction stories of exploration. These are stories inspired by and guided by our children: Calvin, Aaron, and Lily.

Crafted directly with our children, these stories are designed by a child's imagination and are meant to inspire strength, build character, show rather than tell, and, most of all, bring joy to each child that reads them.

Enjoyed together with your child or by that child alone, we hope our stories bring them as much joy as they have brought our children.

The Art of Mirth and Company

These stories have been retold countless times and our vision of what each story "looks like" has changed, sometimes with each telling. We want everyone to imagine the stories in their own minds and in their own ways.

We currently have AI art to show different ways each story can be imagine in a variety of art styles. It is our definitive goal is to have numerous artists reimagine each story from their own perspective and remove the AI art to be replaced by real art from real people.

That includes our readers, young and old!

Draw your favorite parts or characters in the stories and share them with us, we’d love to see and (with your permission) share them on this site! Connect with us on social, on this site, and/ore at john@mirthnco.com.

If you are an artist or an aspiring artist and would like to work with us, please reach out! We would love to talk and work with you!