Bio

Michael Dooling was born in Philadelphia in 1958. He received his Master's in Fine Arts from Syracuse University in 1988. Since then, this talented painter has made his career creating stunning oil paintings that bring American history to life in picture books. He has also illustrated such traditional (and seemingly traditional) stories as O. Henry's The Gift of the Magi, Tom Paxton's The Story of Santa Claus, and Eric Kimmel's Robin Hook, Pirate Hunter!; his biographies include Johanna Hurwitz's Astrid Lindgren: Storyteller to the World and James Cross Giblin's George Washington: A Picture Book Biography and Thomas Jefferson: A Picture Book Biography.

Dooling's work has been exhibited at the Norman Rockwell Museum, the Delaware Art Museum, and at the Society of Illustrators. He enjoys making school visits and giving students a “behind-the-scenes” look at how he creates a picture book. Dooling lives in New Jersey with his wife and two stepdaughters, who sometimes serve as models for characters in his books.

Visit Michael Dooling's Web site at www.michaeldooling.com.