When I was in my early elementary school years, I entertained myself on rainy days by drawing. I drew and drew and drew. (Pong hadn't been invented yet.) After a while my drawings got pretty good and began to attract the attention of my teachers and peers.
My first foray into illustrating was in the fifth grade when I illustrated a book report on James Fenimore Cooper's The Last of the Mohicans. I remember how proud I felt when my teacher thought it was of high enough artistic merit to be passed around for the entire class to see! Experiences like that motivated me to keep at it.
My love for art eventually led me to The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts where I studied painting. It took me a long time after graduating to find my niche in the world of art. It wasn't until I was forty-eight years old that my first picture book was published: Woolbur, written by Leslie Helakoski. I think it was all the picture books I loved reading with my children that inspired me in that direction.
Woolbur received many honors and awards and jump-started my career. After Woolbur I illustrated Turkey Trouble, by Wendi Silvano and more success followed. There is now a four-book Turkey Trouble series (with two more on the way) and a sequel to the original Woolbur. I illustrated Looking for the Easy Life by Walter Dean Myers and also wrote and illustrated three books: Snow! Snow! Snow! The Emperor's Cool Clothes, and Coyote.
In addition to writing and illustrating picture books, I visit schools where I talk to children about my life in picture books and lead young students in guided drawing. Inspiring children to love reading, writing and art has become the most rewarding aspect of my career. I would estimate that I've drawn with over 100,000 children at the various schools I've visited over the years. Some of those children have gone on to become artists and authors themselves!
Today I live with my wife in Doylestown, Pennsylvania. I have four grown children, three sheep, three chickens, two dogs, two cats, and two ducks. Quack! Quack!
