For a decade now, here at Smithsonian, we've surveyed the year ... on New Yorker cartoonist-turned-children's book author and illustrator William Steig's curmudgeonly and slovenly green monster.

The Fudge books, as the four titles are collectively known, evolved into a wildly successful series, selling 19 million copies in more than 20 languages. For 12 years, faithful readers have ...