A native of Spicer, Minnesota, Mike attended the Savannah College of Art and Design in Savannah, Georgia. After graduating with a B.F.A. in illustration in 1993, he moved to Minneapolis to begin his career in illustration. Mike's clients include Random House, Clarion Books, Cricket Magazine Group, Peaceable Kingdom Press, Scholastic School Productions and Harcourt Brace School Productions. He lives in south Minneapolis with his wife and son.

Jack's House
written by Karen Magnuson Beil
Holiday House, 2008
ages 4 to 8, ISBN 978-0-8234-1913-5

Construction-equipment loving boys will adore this humourous twist on the classic nursery rhyme. Someone has done a lot of work building a house. Someone has been operating a cement mixer, driving a bulldozer, and using a forklift to build walls, frame windows, and nail down a roof. Someone has built a big, strong home for Jack. But is this the house that Jack built? One tired puppy dog disagrees in this story about getting what you work for.

Mama's Little Duckling
written by Marjorie Blain Parker
Dutton, 2008
ages 4 to 8, ISBN 978-0525479505

Dandelion Duckling is ready to explore...all by himself. Soon he’s paddling across the pond to visit with his friends. Mama is watching closely, though, and when she sees danger, she sounds the warning: QUACK! QUACK! QUACK! and Dandelion scoots right back. But one day not even Mama sees the weasel waiting in the willows. Can Dandelion remember what Mama Quack taught him, before it’s too late? Mike Wohnoutka’s vibrant, sun-splashed paintings capture the exuberance of Marjorie Blain Parker’s rhythmic read-aloud.

When the Wizzy Foot Goes Walking
written by Roni Schotter
Dutton, 2007
ages 4 to 8, ISBN 978-0-5254-7791-4

Early every morning, the WIZZY FOOT rises and goes walking. Floors shake, buildings quake. Soon, like it or not, the whole family's awake! Whether jumping into its parents' bed, stomping into the kitchen for breakfast, or splashing outside, the WIZZY FOOT is busy making noise and having fun all the day long!

Look What the Cat Dragged In
written by Gary Hogg
Dutton, 2005
ages 4 to 8, ISBN 978-0-375-82627-6

Deep in the woods, in the middle of winter, the last thing the Lazybones family wants to do is step outside their cabin. When they complain about being chilly, it’s up to the cat to go out and get them some firewood. “Look what the cat dragged in!” they exclaim. Still the Lazybones refuse to move a muscle, so the little cat has to take care of their hunger and boredom too. The kitty gets fed up with their selfish whining, and he drags the Lazybones into the middle of trouble—earning himself some well-deserved peace and quiet at last. This silly story based on a familiar saying will provide plenty of laughs with no effort at all.

My Dad Can Do Anything
written by Stephen Krensky
Random House, 2004
ages 4 to 8, ISBN 978-0-525-46984-1

What can your dad do? Can he climb the highest mountain? Or swim to the bottom of the sea? In this heartwarming story about how dads are strong, brave, and all around great, dads can do anything.

Foot-Stomping Adventures of Clementine Sweet
written by Kitty Griffin and Kathy Combs
Clarion Books, 2004
ages 4 to 8, ISBN 978-0-618-24746-2

This here's the story of the meanest, most ornery and pugnacious, pigtail-wearing, pint-sized person in the whole entire Texas Hill Country, and how she saved the town of Lovett from getting blown clear off the map. It's also the story of a peculiar, walloping, wicked wind, and a fella named Kyle and his large band, who rolled into town at the exact right time. But most of all, this is a story about a little gal who just got plumb tired of being forgotten about, and how she finally discovered a way to get noticed that made her happy instead of mad...and how she made other people happy, too.

Davey's Blue-Eyed Frog
written by Patricia Harrison Easton
Clarion Books, 2003
ages 7 to 10, ISBN 978-0-618-18185-8

Harkening back to the familiar story of the frog who is kissed by a princess and turns into a handsome prince, Davey's Blue-Eyed Frog features a frog princess in need of a kiss. In this contemporary story, Davey discovers a talking frog one day while collecting tadpoles. The frog's name is Princess Amelia, and she's been put under a spell and needs a kiss in order to return to her fairy tale world. To complicate matters, she needs her kiss before two cycles of the moon pass or she will stay a frog forever. Davey decides to make a deal with the frog: if she performs for him at the school talent show, he'll kiss her. But if Amelia is to survive the week, she'll need to convince Davey, who's notoriously bad with pets, to take better care of her. Will Davey be able to keep his promise to Amelia? Here is a clever, imaginative story with snappy dialogue and lots of humor, perfect for the reluctant boy reader.

Cowboy Sam and those Confounded Secrets
written by Kitty Griffin and Kathy Combs,
Clarion Books, 2001
ages 4 to 10, ISBN 978-0-618-08854-6

Reading Guide available from Minnesota Storytime

Shhh...don't tell anyone, but
Cowboy Sam has his own website: Click Here!

Under Cowboy Sam's hat are more secrets than fleas on Doc Peeble's hound dog, more secrets than peppers on a chili pepper plant, and more secrets than spikes on a horny toad lizard. Just about everyone in the town of Dry Gulch wants to tell Sam a secret. But when his hat gets plum full of secrets and won't stay put on his head, Sam is bumfuzzled and bewildered. How can he keep all those secrets under wraps— and keep the townfolk from going crazy? Perfectly matched by Mike Wohnoutka's comic illustrations, this funny and unexpectedly touching tale will appeal to readers young and old alike.

Johnny Appleseed: My Story
written by David L. Harrison
Random House, 2001
grades 1 to 3, ISBN 978-0-375-81247-7

Johnny Appleseed was an important historical figure, well known for planting apple orchards across the new frontier. But he was also a master storyteller! In his own folksy voice, Johnny Appleseed tells his story to a couple of entranced children in this fictionalized Step 2 title. Readers learn how he started planting apple trees and about some of the myths and true stories of his life. Mike Wohnoutka's vibrant illustrations capture the outgoing personality of Johnny Appleseed and the beautiful landscapes that he travels.

Counting Sheep
written by Julie Glass
Random House, 2000
preschool to grade 1, ISBN 978-0-375-80619-3

What do you do if you can't sleep? Count sheep! That's what the restless hero of this rollicking tale does. And when sheep don't work, he counts kangaroos by twos and monkeys by threes. But when he gets to bees by fours, the animals run amok! Then it's a countdown to dream time. With energetic, bright illustrations and rhythmic text, this is a great introduction to the idea of counting by sets, a precursor to multiplication.