Brian Pinkney

When he was young, Brian Pinkney needed only to look at his parents' careers to see what he himself would grow up to become. His mother is Gloria Jean Pinkney, a children's book writer, and his father is Jerry Pinkney, a children's book illustrator. Brian Pinkney often came home from school and watched his father at work in his art studio. Then he drew and painted in his own "studio" — a closet fixed up with art supplies that his father no longer used.

When he was older, Pinkney earned both a bachelor's and a master's degree in art. His work was shown in art galleries, and his illustrations appeared in several magazines. But he's best known for his children's book illustrations. Pinkney followed in his parents' footsteps in yet another way, by marrying a writer. His wife, Andrea Davis Pinkney, has written many children's books, and Pinkney has illustrated some of them. He has also written and illustrated his own books.

Brian Pinkney says, "I make pictures for the child in me. My work is actually my way of playing. That's why I think children enjoy my books; they recognize me as one of their own."

Website: http://www.brianpinkney.net/