Born on May 22, Eileen Christelow says that books have always been a part of her life. She remembers books piled high beside her father’s chair. She and her brother were often given books as gifts and she even had a lending library for her friends with date due slips and overdue fines! When her daughter was born, she began reading picture books to her. She was inspired to try writing and illustrating a picture book of her own—she thought she’d try an alphabet book, figuring it would be easy. Two years later, she finished the letter “Z.” Her first book, Henry and the Red Stripes, was published in 1981. Ms. Christelow has written and illustrated a number of books about the Five Monkeys, nonfiction including the well-reviewed Vote!, mysteries, books with slapstick humor, and books about Jerome, a bright green alligator. She and her husband, Ahren, live in Vermont.