Illustrator, author, teacher, dad, cross-country coach, dog-handler, and husband, Erik Brooks has a lot of practice at doing a lot of things. He's moved around a lot, but he was born in one place on April 29th: Wisconsin. He's lived throughout the Midwest and Northwest, gaining a degree in studio art from Carleton College and a K-12 teaching certificate.

Erik published his first book, The Practically Perfect Pajamas, about Percy the polar bear, in 2000. He has been creating successful picture books ever since, including Octavius Bloom and the House of Doom, Monkey Business, Slow Days, Fast Friends; Totem Tale, Boo's Dinosaur, and Dog Diaries, his newest title.

Happy birthday, Erik! Read more about him by clicking here.