I grew up in Havertown, Pennsylvania, where I wrote and illustrated my first book in the third grade. SUPER COW! was a smash hit both with critics (my teacher) and collectors (my parents).When I was twelve years old, my family moved to Florida. My parents tried to get me and my two brothers excited about our move by buying us season passes to Disney World. I loved watching the animators at work on the Backstage Tour, and I decided I wanted to work for Disney when I grew up. I attended the Rhode Island School of Design, but soon found myself drawn back towards illustration instead of animation. After graduation and a slew of ill-fated careers (including a portrait artist on a Carnival Cruise ship and a conductor of illegal tours through the Vatican Museums), I began working as a book designer with a children's book publisher in New York. I now live in Portland, Oregon with my husband and surly cat. Along with writing and illustrating, I teach children's book illustration at Pacific Northwest College of Art. I also maintain a not-so-secret identity as Winnie the Pow, skater with the Rose City Rollers roller derby league.