A great career began for Sandra Boynton, born on April 3rd, as a greeting card illustrator and soon her clear and easily recognized style was gracing a montage of gift items from coffee mugs to knick-knacks. Her first book, Hippos Go Berserk (1979) paved the way for her two adult novels in the 1980’s, The Compleat Turkey and Don’t Let the Turkeys Get You Down. Her illustrations have a great appeal to children, and she is better known now for her board books for the very young including the favorite Barnyard Dance. When asked why she draws animals she says, “Animals are versatile people—surrogates, since in using them, an artist becomes largely freed from constraints of age, gender, race and so on. Though the real reason is I have no idea how to draw people.” He favorite media is technical pen and watercolor. Look for her new children’s book/CD Philadelphia Chicken, developed with composer/arranger Michael Ford.