P.K. Hallinan began writing children's books 40 years ago when his wife asked him to make a book for their two young sons as a Christmas gift. He did, and the feedback he got from friends and neighbors inspired him to write more books. Since then, P.K. has written and illustrated nearly 100 children's books and has sold more than 9,000,000 copies worldwide. P.K. was born in Los Angeles in 1944 and spent his youth primarily in Bethesda, Maryland and in the San Fernando Valley. Although P.K. never studied art, his disappointment with the work of the artist assigned to illustrate his first book motivated him to learn to draw. He has been illustrating his own books ever since. "If I did any one thing right," says P.K., "I decided very early on to write books that help children and parents alike have better and happier lives. That decision has kept many of my books in-print for more than 25 years, because the values I teach are timeless." His newest book, "A LIFE THAT MATTERS: Five Steps to Making a Difference", is his first book for adults. In it he describes five simple ways to add significance to virtually any career. P.K. is also an ordained minister. He lives with his wife, Jeanne, and his boxer, Betty, in the mountains above Ashland and also at the beach, in Brookings, Oregon.