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I live and work in a funky old farmhouse in River Falls, Wisconsin. The front yard is tall with weeds and wildflowers, and the backyard has long perennial borders with a pond in the middle. All this is to attract wildlife to my little piece of the planet. Animals have always fascinated me. When an animal catches my attention, questions pop into my head. What does it eat? Where does it sleep? Who are its enemies? Then I go looking for answers. I take stacks of books home from the library, search on-line, watch videos, browse magazine articles, and most importantly watch the animal myself. Everything I learn I put into picture books. I try to write stories that are exciting to read and make artwork that's fun to look at. Lots of thrills keep factual information moving forward. And my drawings reflect a view of the world where learning is colorful, visual, and cool. When I'm not working on books, I love hanging with friends, gardening, photographing nature, hiking, and visiting schools. |
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Turtle Crossing Why did the turtle cross the road? Five years after a female painted turtle hatches from her shell, she is ready to lay eggs of her own. This is a dangerous task because there is a road between her and the perfect nesting site. She starts to cross, but a huge car is hurtling her way. It stops just in time, and the kind people help her to safety. So the next time you see a Turtle Crossing sign, keep your eyes open—if you’re lucky you just might see a painted turtle on her way to make a nest. |
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Blue Sky Bluebird In a cozy nest of grass a female bluebird lays her eggs, blue as the summer sky. When they hatch, there are four tiny chicks to feed. The parent birds hunt all day for tasty insects to give their hungry brood. The chicks grow quickly, and within a few weeks they have enough feathers to learn to fly. At first their wings are shaky and unsure, but soon the fledglings are fast enough to catch their own meals. The nearly grown chicks help their parents raise a new brood of hungry babies—before the cold winter drives the family south. |
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Hop Frog One spring day a frog's egg hatches in a quiet lake. The tiny tadpole that emerges is weak at first, but little by little he grows stronger. Soon he sprouts legs and swims to the lake's surface to breathe. A few weeks later he hops out of the lake onto dry land, a young frog at last. But land turns out to be a very different place from his watery home. Can the little frog survive? |
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Army Ant Parade "This lushly illustrated ecological tale rests on the premise that readers are camped in a Central American rainforest to observe an army ant swarm. Chrustowski's close-up, realistic illustrations, comprised of multiple layers of colored pencil over watercolor wash, are vivid and effective, with the ants often appearing to be heading straight toward readers. Eye-catching and clearly written, this title ... will be a useful addition to most collections." |
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Will You Sting Me? Will You Bite? the truth about some scary-looking insects "...reveals the real deal about some of nature's creepiest creatures in poetry ... Realistic illustrations let budding entomologists examine the insects up close." |
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Lunch at the Zoo "A behind-the-scenes look at how zoos undertake the complicated task of feeding all their different animals. Black and white photos and pencil drawings provide a nice addition to the facts." |
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Bright Beetle "It's super beetle! The life cycle of the ladybug is presented with splashy colored pencil illustrations, which leap off the page. This dramatic telling ... describes the battle of the bugs, and shows them up close and huge. The author follows the development of the ladybug from egg to adult through brief, but exciting and detailed text. An appealing introduction to a familiar and useful insect made especially suitable for reading aloud because of the accessible text and bright, dramatic illustrations." |
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