Rob Steen

David Ezra Stein

Peter Stein

About me When I was little I spent hours and hours drawing at the dining room table. I liked doing lots of other stuff too, but drawing was the one thing that was just for me. I'd create lots of silly characters that would often be saying strange and goofy things. Later this turned into a career making greeting cards and now books for kids. About my work I still love to draw, but mostly I write these days. It's good to sit down and practice writing and have fun with it. But it's also good to get inspired by things around you and write spontaneously. CARS GALORE happened just that way. One day, I was driving around with my family and started making up silly verses about cars. "Black car, green car, nice car, mean car" ...things like that. My two sons started cracking up and joining in, and-go figure-my first children's book was born! It's been beyond fun to write it and work with Bob Staake, the amazing artist for our book. Three things you didn't know about me 1. The first car I ever owned was a truck with a leaky camper shell on it. The rain got in and some mushrooms grew on the stinky rug inside. Gross. Oh, and it had a horn that went "OWOOOOGA!!" 2. I like to play the guitar and write songs when no one's looking. 3. Once, a long time ago, I went to Africa and climbed to the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro. It was exhausting. I'm still tired.

Susan Stern

Susan Stern, an acting and voice coach and playwright, helped her son Sam write his cookbook, Cooking Up a Storm.

Sam Stern

Teenage author of the acclaimed cookbooks, Cooking Up a Storm and Real Food, Real Fast.,Sam Stern was raised in Yorkshire, England, with three fantastic sisters and one brilliant brother -- until they went to college and he was left to his own devices. It is not unusual that a high school student loves to eat but his ability to cook and write sets him apart. He describes one of his first memories cooking with his mother, Susan, making her famous treacle bread and opening the oven to see it and says "the smell was great!" This appreciation for cooking led him (when he was a bit older) to write COOKING UP A STORM with his mother. He wanted to write a book "for kids like me who enjoy cooking or who want to learn to cook. It's full of simple tasty recipes -- the kinds of things that my friends and I like to eat." Their second book, REAL FOOD, REAL FAST is an effort to lure all those time-pressured teens away from their fast-food fixes. Writing and cooking share some of the same creative skills. Sam says "when I write I just like to chill. Sometimes it's so easy and the words just come flooding out. Other times I get frustrated. I like to write to music because it helps everything to flow. I like to be creative with my writing but with the cookbook, it had to be really short and sweet. It was really hard to cut it down sometimes." Regarding cooking he notes "well, I'm usually pretty impatient, but I can spend hours chopping stuff, blending, whisking, and mixing. I find all that activity really relaxing. The first thing I do when I get into the kitchen is put on some music." In addition to cooking and writing Sam enjoys sports, fishing, climbing with his older brother, and going out to hear all kinds of music, including indie rock and jazz. Ten Things you didn't know about Sam Stern 1. He wanted to be a vet or a fireman when he was a kid. 2. He likes football (in the U.S. it is soccer) and going to the gym. 3. He's about 6 feet tall. 4. He likes all music except classical. 5. His favorite foods are chocolate mousse and roast chicken. 6. He would like to go to China. 7. He is addicted to Chinese food. 8. He is willing to try everything when it comes to food. 9. He wants to learn to play acoustic guitar. 10. His dream is to trek to the North Pole. Sam lives with his family in York, England, where he is rarely seen without an iPod.

Robert Louis Stevenson

Madeleine Stewart

Author of father-friendly picture book Clever Daddy.

Joel Stewart

Talented illustrator of The Adventures of a Nose and a stylish new version of Jabberwocky by Lewis Carroll.,Joel Stewart was brought up in a commune in the wilds of Yorkshire, England. From an early age he was knocked sideways by stories, and invariably lay on the floor drawing pictures to recover. Later, in the year 2000, he graduated with a first class degree in illustration from Falmouth College of Art in Cornwall (South England). Ever since (slightly before) graduating he has been writing and drawing for a living, and has recently moved into animation design and directing for television (while not forgetting books!). "Sometimes I try to be very clever with my pictures, but mostly I try to make people laugh, or for a moment think about sadness. In short I like tell stories in both words and pictures." Joel Stewart is very easily distracted, which is why the techniques he uses to make pictures can vary a lot. He likes to try things out, even though he thinks that drawing is the only really important part and the rest is just to keep him interested. He also plays a variety of musical instruments and lives with them and some fish in the big British city of London.

Bram Stoker