Michelle Markel is the author of several notable picture books, including The Fantastic Jungles of Henri Rousseau (PEN/Steven Kroll Award for Picture Book Writing), Brave Girl: Clara and the Shirtwaist Makers’ Strike of 1909 (Jane Addams Children’s Book Award for Younger Readers, Bank Street’s Flora Stieglitz Straus Award, Orbis Pictus Award Honor), and Balderdash! John Newbery and the Boisterous Birth of Children’s Books. She teaches classes in writing for children for the UCLA Extension Writers’ Program; gives lectures, workshops, and school presentations; and is a founding member of the Children’s Authors Network. Her home is in West Hills, California. Visit her website: michellemarkel.com.