Aileen Easterbrook holds advanced degrees in literacy and education. Several of her magazine articles have appeared in curriculum magazines on subjects ranging from ladybugs to chimpanzees to civil rights to storytelling. She likes spending time with family and friends - enjoying life in the Finger Lakes. Johanna van der Sterre was born and raised in Corning, New York. Her favorite childhood road trips took place in the Finger Lakes Region. She studied illustration at Savannah College of Art and Design, specializing in children's illustration. Her artwork has been featured in several children's magazines including Highlights and Ladybug. She is the award-winning illustrator of Mendel's Accordion. She enjoys working from her Finger Lakes home studio where she lives with her family.