Author: Eugene Gagliano

Known by many children as the "teacher who dances on his desk," Gene Gagliano is an elementary school teacher and writer with a great sense of humor who lives with his wife Carol at the base of the Bighorn Mountains in Buffalo, Wyoming. He loves children and has four of his own—Gina, Jared, Darin and Nathan—and son-in-law, Ron. A member of the Wyoming Writers and the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, Gene has been published in "Chicken Soup for the Preteen Soul." His first book, entitled "Secret of the Black Widow," was published in 2002. Gene and Carol are members of a professional singing group, the Polyester Blends. He enjoys making his educational and entertaining school visits, as well as hiking, canoeing, gardening and painting.

Illustrator: Elizabeth Traynor

Elizabeth Traynor's earliest memory of art was being five and discovering that red paint + yellow paint = orange paint. She started formal art classes at age 10, chose art as her career at 15, and has been an illustrator since graduating from Rhode Island School of Design in 1981. Elizabeth loves illustrating birds, animals, and children, but enjoys drawing almost anything. Her award-winning illustrations have appeared nationwide, and she is represented by Gerald & Cullen Rapp. She loves teaching as well, and was an Illustration and Foundation art instructor at Delaware College of Art & Design for six years. She was head of the Illustration Department for four of those years.

Elizabeth returned to her birthplace, Guntersville, Alabama, in 2014, where she enjoys the low mountains & lakes, rural wildlife and balmier weather. She lives with her cat Skeeter, who thinks she is a dog, and Sammie & Bink, small dogs who think they are big and love brussel sprouts.