Jo Harper grew up in the Texas Panhandle riding horses and eating jalapeño peppers. She comes from a long line of Texas tellers, and is herself a dynamic storyteller, especially of tall tales. Her books, some of which are co-written with her daughter,range from baby books to young adult novels.Her young adult novel, DELFINO'S JOURNEY, won the Western Heritage Wrangler award. PRAIRIE DOG PIONEERS won the Willa Award. OUTRAGEOUS, BODACIOUS BOLIVER BOGGS was an A.B.A. Pick of the List book and was presented on PBS Storytime. JALAPENO HAL was a Book-of-the-Month Club selection, as was I COULD EAT YOU UP! She has taught for many years at all levels, first grade though college. She presents to all grade levels, and her lively, entertaining programs subtly teach reading and writing skills as well as values. She received a NEH grant to study the fusion of visual and verbal art at Columbia University. She also studied in Spain and Mexico.Her books include fiction, biography, tall tales, and history, and are set in Texas and Mexico.