Mercer Mayer, artist and author, has written and illustrated more than eighty picture books since he became involved in children's literature in 1967. Among his works are fantasies, folktales, and realistic stories, both with and without text, and picture books with overtly educational content. The visual wit of his illustrations has won him wide popularity among small children, and his clear and unusual appreciation of the full range of human emotions has earned him the interest and respect of critics and educators.

Mercer Mayer was born in Little Rock, Arkansas, on 30 December 1943. His father served in the navy during World War II and was away from home for much of Mercer Mayer's first years. The Mayers lived on a navy base, and the young Mercer divided his free time between snake and lizard hunting in the nearby swamps and immersing himself in picture books and art. Among those artists...