Although Leonard Wibberley is best known for writing “The Mouse That Roared,” a satire about a tiny European duchy that declares war on the United States, he also authored scores of other books in his lifetime. His prolific work spanned many genres, including historical fiction, science fiction, humor, non-fiction and books for children.

Born in Ireland in 1915, Wibberley traveled the world before settling in Hermosa Beach, where he spent the last several decades of his life writing and raising a family of six.

According to his son Coco, Wibberley probably penned “The Mouse That Roared” while living in a tiny apartment in north Hermosa Beach during the early 1950s. He would later move the family to its permanent home on 24th Street near Valley Drive.

Wibberley was an adventurer his entire life. He participated in ocean sailing races and traveled to just about every country in the world as a journalist. He came to Hermosa Beach after spending World War II in Trinidad.

“He’d been all over the world,” says Coco, “but when he came to Hermosa, he said he couldn’t find a better place to live.”

For years, Wibberley was something of a local celebrity, eating at the Hilltop Cafe on Pier Avenue and haunting downtown shops.

Wibberley died in 1983. While most of his books are out of print, “The Mouse That Roared” is still widely read. Today, the Hermosa Beach Library honors the writer with a special collection of his books.