I was born in Connecticut in 1954. When I was seven, my family and I moved to Taos, New Mexico—a truly magical place, and vastly different from where I'd spent my earliest years. It was the beginning of my life-long interest in different cultures.
As a teenager, I attended schools in both England and Mexico. Many years later, I had a chance to live in another foreign country. This time, I decided to stay for good. Since 2011, I've made my home in Rome, Italy.
I devoured books as a child. While writing certainly intrigued me, it was nothing I seriously considered. Instead I followed in my father's footsteps and studied graphic design, graduating from the Kansas City Art Institute in 1977. My first job was at Family Circle magazine in New York City, after which I freelanced for many years as a graphic designer.
I was looking for a way to remain creative as a stay-at-home mom when I came up with the idea for my first book, The Kids’ Nature Book: 365 Indoor/Outdoor Activities and Experiences. It was published in 1989, and I've been weaving words and pictures together ever since.
I haven't illustrated all of my books, but there's a special place in my heart for those that I did. A number of my books have won awards, and some have even been translated into other languages to be read by young people living in other countries. This, as you can imagine, just tickles my seven-year-old self.
As a teenager, I attended schools in both England and Mexico. Many years later, I had a chance to live in another foreign country. This time, I decided to stay for good. Since 2011, I've made my home in Rome, Italy.
I devoured books as a child. While writing certainly intrigued me, it was nothing I seriously considered. Instead I followed in my father's footsteps and studied graphic design, graduating from the Kansas City Art Institute in 1977. My first job was at Family Circle magazine in New York City, after which I freelanced for many years as a graphic designer.
I was looking for a way to remain creative as a stay-at-home mom when I came up with the idea for my first book, The Kids’ Nature Book: 365 Indoor/Outdoor Activities and Experiences. It was published in 1989, and I've been weaving words and pictures together ever since.
I haven't illustrated all of my books, but there's a special place in my heart for those that I did. A number of my books have won awards, and some have even been translated into other languages to be read by young people living in other countries. This, as you can imagine, just tickles my seven-year-old self.