I love to create picture books. A good picture book is the perfect marriage of words and pictures, each dependent on the other yet each interpreting the story in a unique way. 
 
When I was little, my favorite things to do were to draw, read, play with dolls, and tell stories to my little sister. In first grade, I said I wanted to be an Artist Mommy when I grew up. Like a cook, wearing a tall white chef’s hat and apron, I thought wearing a beret and artist’s smock came with the job. A good thing is, you can draw, paint, and write without any special hats, though I have been known to wear a tiara when thinking about princesses. 
 
In school, I was always the girl who could draw—this skill was really useful for posters in high school when friends ran for class offices or designing scenery for plays, flyers, or anything else. When it was time to choose a college, I decided that going to art school in New York City, where all of the exciting art was being created, was what I wanted to do. I am a graduate of the School of Visual Arts in New York City. Later, my first book, ABCDrive!, began as an illustration assignment at Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California. 
 
My second grade picture
from Roosevelt School, Englewood, NJ.

Besides writing and illustrating my own books, I have illustrated several books by other authors.
The Mystery Bear by Leone Adelson
Peter and the Wolf retold by Carin Dewhirst
The Nutcracker retold by Carin Dewhirst
The Cat With No Tail by Peggy Teeters
Moonbeam Cow by Sharma Krauskopf
The Very Noisy Family by Rebecca Herman

The very talented David Small illustrated Princess Says Goodnight.

My studio is a small sunny room in my house. It is crowded with children’s books and art supplies. I look out at the garden in my front yard. Sometimes my cat, Penny, keeps me company.