Jim Arnosky was born on Sept. 1, 1946, in New York. After high school, he attended one year of trade school and then joined the US Navy. His intense love of the natural world led him to pursue a career as a wildlife artist. Today, Arnosky is the author and illustrator of 98 books about wildlife and nature for children. He has received numerous honors for his work, including the American Association for the Advancement of Science Lifetime Achievement Award for excellence in science illustration. Currently, he and his wife live in northern Vermont.