grew up in the cornfields, orchards, and poison ivy patches of Swartz Creek, Michigan. At an early age I was so large and scary that all the largest, scariest dogs in the town escorted me wherever I went. (I did have a habit of carrying cheese doodles in my pockets…)

By the age of consent I had miraculously shrunk to an average size person and went off to find my fortune at the University of Michigan. I received a BFA and left for NYC to be a painter (hah!), but soon fell in love with typography and Marc Rosenthal. Then off to School of Visual Arts, Brooklyn and a job designing children’s books for Alfred A. Knopf; the perfect job for an extremely visual bookworm.

Gardens and coffee shops are my favorite places to be. Libraries and museums are next in line. I love being in the garden, playing in the dirt and hunting down interesting bugs (fun) or just dreaming. I live in the Berkshires which is a good place for gardens and bugs. I have a son, a cat, sometimes two, and a husband (yes, Marc).

I’ve always loved to read. For many years Alice in Wonderland and David Copperfield were my idea of perfection (I still think they’re pretty good!). As a children’s book designer I got to read many, many great books so that when my son Will was born I was primed and ready. My life became a read-aloud fest! Having that little body snuggled next to me asking for just one more read is heaven. I also told lots of my own made-up stories (among them, the mad adventures of Willy and Colin). Now here I am sitting in the coffee shop, consuming lots of scones and coffee and writing them down.