Lane Smith recently described his artwork as a mixture between his fine arts background and low-brow influences like Monty Python and Mad magazine. He has tried making children’s books that are sweet and cute, but inevitably they take a turn toward the edgy. “I try to do serious stuff,” he explains, “but it just comes out screwy.” Lane Smith’s unconventional approach has resulted in many fans, numerous bestsellers, and a prestigious Caldecott Honor. Smith has collaborated with author Jon Scieszka on many favorites, including Math Curse, Science Verse, The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs! and The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales.
Launa Hall is a writer, traveler, and former primary school teacher with an MFA in creative writing and an M.Ed. in early childhood education. Launa has been traveling globally, visiting teachers and their classrooms, and she’s writing a book about how children are taught to read around the world.
