Just Like Us! Books

Bridget Heos grew up in a family that told lots of stories. Her family also supported her creative endeavors. For instance, her parents let her put on big plays in their backyard, which was her first paid writing job. Fast forwarding to adulthood, Bridget became a social worker and teacher, but soon transitioned into freelance writing for local newspapers, magazines, and businesses. Finally, her son’s love of nonfiction books, particularly ones about turtles, led to her dream job. She wondered, “Who writes all these turtle books?” A little research revealed that it was ordinary writers like her. Through a children’s writing group, Bridget connected with an editor seeking writers for hire. Her first assignment was to write a middle grade biography of the rapper Jay-Z. Since then, she has written around 100 nonfiction books for children, mostly about science. For a long time, Bridget didn’t think she had a big enough imagination to write fiction. To remedy that, she read 100 well-loved picture books one Summer. That Fall, she got the idea for Mustache Baby. She has since written a handful of picture books, and still writes nonfiction. She lives with her husband, three sons, one daughter, and a cat in Kansas City, Missouri.

David Clark is the illustrator of more than fifteen books, including What’s for Dinner? Quirky, Squirmy Poems from the Animal World (a winner of the New Mexico Book Awards) and Pirate Bob. He is also the illustrator and co-creator of the syndicated comic strip Barney & Clyde. He lives in Luray, Virginia.