Dinner at the Panda Palace

Stephanie grew up in Brooklyn New York, never imagining she’d become a writer. She began her professional life as an early childhood teacher and had the pleasure of reading to children and discovering which books captivate them. When budget cuts left her looking for work, she became a children’s book editor and got to see how a book is made. Planning to go back to teaching, Stephanie enrolled in a Master’s Program in Education at New York University where she took a course called, “Writing for Children.” Her very first story was published in a children’s magazine, and she was off and writing! Though much of her time is spent in front of a computer instead of in a classroom, she still thinks of herself as a teacher, speaking to children through her books.

Nadine Bernard Westcott has illustrated more than 100 books for young readers, including I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly, Big Picnic, Down by the Bay, and Peanut Butter and Jelly, the latter of which she also wrote. Nadine lives in Nantucket, Massachusetts, and divides her time between illustrating and designing her own line of fabrics.