Jill Esbaum

Jill Esbaum grew up in small-town Iowa. Her summers were spent creating comic strips, getting kittens to follow her home, and playing Barbie beauty pageant with the neighbor girls (which her Barbie never won, since she had the unfortunate habit of tripping and falling during the swimsuit competition or trying to pull off a talent for which she was clearly unprepared). One of her favorite possessions was the mini flashlight that illuminated post-bedtime, undercover reading marathons with Nancy Drew.

She is a frequent school visitor and conference speaker. She teaches writing for children at the Whispering Woods Picture Book Writing Retreat and workshops around the country. She lives with her husband on a farm near Davenport, Iowa. Follow her on Twitter @JEsbaum or her blog, www.picturebookbuilders.com