Mark Teague has delighted young readers with more than 20 picture books, and he has written many of them himself, including the popular Pigsty, Baby Tamer, and One Halloween Night. He is also the illustrator of Cynthia Rylant’s beloved Poppleton series for beginning readers and the best-selling books by Jane Yolen, How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight and How Do Dinosaurs Get Well Soon. Mark Teague’s life changed when he moved from San Diego to New York City and he planted the seed for his first picture book, The Trouble with the Johnsons. Each of Teague’s books start as ‘notebooks full of sketches and scribbles, strange little drawings and phrases that suddenly come together,’ Teague explains. And although he had no formal writing training, his endless imagination and understanding nature gives him a permanent place in the hearts of everyone.

3 Fun Facts

1. I’m the youngest of seven children (not sure if that’s fun.)
2. As a kid, I once got in trouble for drawing pictures all over a new pair of canvas sneakers.
3. Last year I hiked the Pacific Crest Trail from Mexico to Canada (2,653 miles!)