The Night Before Books

Natasha is best known for her “The Night Before” series that’s based on the Christmas classic, The Night Before Christmas. She writes mostly fiction for young children, but has also published narrative non-fiction. “I like finding little known facts about well-known people and sharing them with kids.” Three of her books have been translated into foreign languages. Natasha has been publishing since 1994 and has more stories in the works. She lives with her husband and cat, Purrsia, in Colorado. She collects squished pennies. Her happy place is being at the beach.

Heidi Petach has enjoyed a number of unusual careers on her way to becoming a bestselling illustrator and author. With a master’s degree with highest distinction from Indiana University School of Music, Heidi initially launched a career as a concert pianist and composer. She played concerts around the world, was featured on TV and radio, made recordings, and was commissioned to compose solo piano, piano/organ, and orchestral works. Following her music career, Petach worked in Promotions and Special Events at the Cincinnati Zoo. Her continuing love of animals is evident in all her books. Creating the artwork for the Zoo’s brochures and flyers inspired her to enroll full-time at the Cincinnati Academy of Design. A tip from a neighbor connected Heidi with a local publisher and she released her first children’s picture book. Contracts with major publishers, including Grosset & Dunlap and Putnam, soon followed. Petach’s books have received glowing reviews and have been nominated for awards. The Night Before Valentine’s Day by Natasha Wing appeared on the New York Times children’s books bestsellers list for five weeks running.

Tammie Lyon began her love for drawing at a young age while sitting at the kitchen table with her dad. She continued her love of art and eventually attended The Columbus College of Art and Design, where she earned a Bachelors degree in Fine Art. After a brief career as a professional ballet dancer, she decided to devote herself full time to illustration. Today she lives with her husband, Lee, in Cincinnati, Ohio. Her dogs, Gus and Dudley, keep her company as she works in her studio.

Put a kid in a room alone with nothing but pencils, paper, his own imagination and you get me. By normal standards I should be an anti-social home pest exterminator by day and WWF fan by night. But I’m not. I’m a cartoonist and for two reasons: I could not hit the curve but I could hit a nerve. I am classically trained to be able to find the classical station when I need to. Beyond that, I’ve been making it up since I was in that room alone. Truth is, God was in there with me just like he is today and we’ve managed to knock out some pretty decent work in a number of different areas working with some incredibly talented people and for some great clients. There are more wooden plaques on the wall than I ever imagined. All of them spelled my name right and frankly, I deserve them. But my beautiful wife, my two children, Mom, cat and completely untrainable dog I do not deserve. They are simply a blessing for which I am thankful everyday. (Bio via mikelester.com)

Barbara Johansen Newman was a puppeteer, puppet maker, and fiber sculptor before turning to illustration and textile design. Her artwork has appeared in magazines, newspapers, and advertising, and she has illustrated over twenty children’s books, including Tex and Sugar, which she also wrote. She and her family live outside Boston, and in her spare time she enjoys hunting online and in antique shops for vintage treasures, especially new additions to her collection of glamorous glasses. You can visit her website at johansennewman.com.

Deborah Zemke has written and illustrated many books for young readers, including the wildly successful Doodles place mat series. Her work has also appeared in several magazines. She is also the designer of the ITC Zemke Hand font. She lives in Missouri

Amy Wummer is the illustrator of over fifty children’s books. In 1998 and 2007, she received the Highlights for Children Cover of the Year award. Amy has illustrated several books in “The Night Before” series. She lives in Reading, Pennsylvania.