Kathleen Pelley was born in Glasgow, Scotland, but spent most of her childhood summers playing on her grandparents' farm in Ireland. Her passion for stories stemmed from listening to them on the BBC radio during the children's story hour. So much did Kathleen love stories, that off she went to Edinburgh University and earned a degree in HiSTORY. She didn't much care for all the facts and dates and numbers, but how she loved the stories of Rasputin, Napoleon, and Bonnie Prince Charlie! One character in particular captured Kathleen's imagination--Florence Nightingale. After completing her degree, Kathleen studied to become a children's nurse, but it was a brief and disastrous dalliance. For much as Kathleen loved children, she did not like to see them sick and suffering. However, decades later, Kathleen now sees herself as a kind of a nurse, because she believes that stories can heal the hurts in our hearts.As a former elementary teacher, Kathleen enjoys sharing her passion with people of all ages. She is a regular speaker at Regis University on "Nurturing a Passion for Stories," makes frequent presentations at schools and conferences, and has been telling stories at an inner city elementary school for the past 18 years. When she's not reading, writing, telling, or listening to stories, Kathleen enjoys knitting, Scottish music, and hiking with her husband and two Golden Retriever dogs along the trails of sunny Colorado.She is the author of five picture books: The Giant King (CD narrated by author - NAPPA storytelling award), Inventor McGregor (Bank Street Best Book and Colorado Book Award Winner), Magnus Maximus, a Marvelous Measurer (Bank Street Best Book, Colorado Book Award, Oppenheim Toy Portfolio, Anne Izard Storytelling Award), Raj the Bookstore Tiger, and The Sandal Artist.