Substitute Groundhog

When she was six, Pat created her first book with pictures of favorite foods cut from magazines. One of her latest books is about the guy who invented the doughnut. Some things haven’t changed! What did change was she grew up to be a teacher and school librarian–with thousands of books. Pat loves to investigate little known people who did remarkable things. And she loves animals–especially her rescue dog, Charlie. That’s why several of her books feature animal characters–from a groundhog with the flu who needs a substitute to a true book about all kinds of pets–even pet rocks and computerized pets! Her books are dedicated to her three children and nine grandchildren.

Kathi Ember lives with one man, four sheep and numerous cats in an old stone farmhouse just outside Kutztown , Pennsylvania. Kathi has been an illustrator for over 30 years with a focus on children’s illustration for the past twenty. She has been drawing ever since she could hold a pencil and knew from a very young age that art was her passion. After graduating with a BFA from Kutztown University in PA, she eventually figured out that she was meant to be an illustrator. Her love of animals, sense of humor and whimsy and a penchant for storytelling all came together and in one quick moment she realized…THIS IS IT…this is what I am supposed to be doing! And so, she sits at her desk everyday, living in a fantasy world and watching little anthropomorphic animals come to life…and…life is good.