Linda Ashman (lindaashman.com) is the author of more than thirty picture books and the creator of
The Nuts and Bolts Guide to Writing Picture Books. To her, a well-done picture book is a work of art. But, she says, "The real magic happens when a picture book is shared and a child laughs, asks questions, studies the illustrations, and says, 'Read it again.'" Her books have been included on the "best of the year" lists of
The New York Times,
Parenting and
Child magazines, the New York Public Library, Bank Street College of Education, and the International Reading Association. She leads writing workshops and gives presentations about writing and children's books at conferences and schools. She lives in Chapel Hill, North Carolina with her husband, Jack, their son Jackson, and their two dogs.
Chuck Groenink (www.chuckgroenink.com) hails from an overgrown village among the peat bogs in the north of the Netherlands, where he spent his formative years climbing trees, drawing, reading, and cycling. He attended the Artez Institute of Visual Arts in Kampen, graduating from the department of illustration in 2004. He lives in Hudson, New York with his wife and two cats.