Jill Esbaum grew up in small-town Iowa. Her summers were spent creating comic strips, getting kittens to follow her home, and playing Barbie beauty pageant with the neighbor girls (during which her Barbie frequently tripped and fell during the swimsuit competition). One of her favorite possessions was the mini flashlight that illuminated post-bedtime, undercover reading marathons with Nancy Drew.She is a frequent school visitor and conference speaker. She teaches writing for children at the University of Iowa Summer Writing Festival and the Whispering Woods Picture Book Writing Retreat. She lives with her husband on a farm near Davenport, Iowa.