Ruth Spiro is an award-winning children's book author and freelance writer whose articles, essays, and stories have appeared in magazines and anthologies. Her debut picture book,Lester Fizz, Bubble-Gum Artist(Dutton), won awards from Writer's Digest and Willamette Writers and was a Bank Street College of Education Best Book of the Year. Irene Chanenjoys making beautiful things. She is an art director, designer, artist, amateur photographer, and illustrator.