Happy Endings

About the Book

From the time I was a small boy, I loved to hear a good story. I especially loved enchanting stories with happy endings. My favorite tales were about poor people becoming rich, sad people becoming happy, weak people becoming strong, and powerful, plain, simple people becoming important and famous.

When I grew up, I loved to tell stories. My mind was like a closet filled with boxes of files, with each folder containing a secret tale no one ever heard before. There were wonderful stories about folks who changed someone's life or who changed the world because of their love, skill, bravery, knowledge, faith or perseverance.

Most of all, I loved telling these stories to my children and grandchildren. Over the years I wrote down many of these tales and several were published in books and magazines. Often, I would get letters from people telling me that my stories made them feel good because they had a happy ending and that made me happy - because I love a happy ending.

Now, I have decided to put all of my Happy Ending stories into a book and to illustrate each one with a Happy Picture. I hope that each girl or boy who reads this book will think of their own stories and write them down, so that someday they can tell them to their own children and grandchildren.

About the Author

Dr. Donald R. Stoltz was born in Philadelphia, PA and educated in that city. He attended Central High School, Temple University and the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. He has been a practicing physician in Family Medicine in Philadelphia since 1962. Since his boyhood, Dr. Stoltz has admired the art of Norman Rockwell and with his brother Marshall acquired an extensive collection of Rockwell art. In 1970, after publishing several children's books on medical subjects which he illustrated, he met Normal Rockwell and shortly thereafter co-authored with his brother a very successful three volume set of books, NORMAN ROCKWELL AND THE SATURDAY EVENING POST. This set was later republished as one large coffee table volume. The brothers also authored THE ADVERTISING WORLD OF NORMAN ROCKWELL.

In 1976 the Stoltz Brothers founded the Curtis Center Museum of Norman Rockwell Art in Philadelphia and Don became Chairman of the Board. He has written many magazine articles on Mr. Rockwell and lectures about him and many other American illustrators. He has also written many short stories, a teenage novel, "Bunk One", and a movie script "The Bubble Flight".

On November 1st, 1998 Don retired from medicine and turned the practice over to his son Brad. Since that time he has authored two new books on American illustrators, a series of children's storybooks, "Philip A. Pen and Friends", a poetry book illustrated by Rockwell sketches and a musical play, "The Waiting Room." His newest ventures in addition to a children's book entitled, "Don't Talk to Strangers" are a poetry book. The Poet and The Post and an inspirational storybook called "Happy Endings." Both of his newest books are illustrated by classic covers from The Saturday Evening Post.

Dr. Stoltz and his wife Phyllis presently reside in Philadelphia, PA where in addition to writing, he enjoys painting, gardening, lecturing on art and medicine and playing with is grandchildren.