Deborah Freedman was an architect once-upon-a-time, but now she loves to build worlds in books. Her first picture books were tiny and hand-made over thirty years ago for her own children, and her first published book debuted in 2007. Since then, she has written and illustrated many more, featuring protagonists that include an earthworm searching for its purpose in life, a house that dreams of its origins, and a character that is almost too shy to appear in its own book. Her books have been translated into nine different languages, adopted in classrooms across the country, and received many starred and rave reviews, honors, and awards — including SCBWI’s Crystal Kite Award and a Parent's Choice Gold Award.

Lost in books and the arts for as long as she can remember, Deborah majored in art history in college and then went on to study design. She is the proud mom of four grown children, an adoring grandma of seven, and the devoted guardian of many stuffed animals. When she isn’t making picture books or daydreaming, she likes to plant things and watch them grow, and to wander through museums, libraries, and the woods near her colorful home in southern Connecticut.