Bio

Ever since I began to read, I have been turning printed words into pictures in my mind. Even as a child I would imagine how the characters in books looked, dressed, and moved. It has always been fun for me to draw these images on paper.

As a teenager in Brooklyn, I liked to wander and draw the world around me; the people on the subway; the fishing boats by the docks of Coney Island, where I grew up; and the merry-go-round in the amusement park nearby. I knew I would become an artist.

When I finished high school, I went to Mexico to meet my family. I got to know my grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. Besides doing drawings and paintings of what I saw, I took many pictures.

After six months I returned to New York, got married, went to work as a graphic designer, and started a family. I began taking many pictures of my children. After ten years I decided to quit my job and become a professional photographer. This allowed meto travel around the world, getting to know people and taking pictures of them.

I began to make children's books with my photographs and the words of other writers .After several books, my editor asked me to try my hand at writing. I did and I loved the experience. Sometimes words can tell what pictures can't; of the heat of the day, the sounds of birds, and the feelings of the people in the photographs. Now, using my pictures and words to create books for children, I can share my experiences with young readers and the wonderful people I meet.span>

Throughout my travels I have seen people celebrating life in many ways: through music, dance, painting, playing, singing...My own special way of celebrating life is to make children's books.p>

Interviews