Crystal Bowman loves writing books for kids. Her books come in all shapes and sizes and many of them have become best sellers. Whether her stories are written in playful rhythm and rhyme, or short sentences for beginning readers, she tries to make them so enjoyable that kids will want to read them over and over again. "But the most important part," she says, "is to teach children that God loves them and cares about them very much." Valerie Sokolova was born in Lvov, Ukraine. Later she moved to Minsk, Belarus, where she graduated from Belarus State Institute of Theatre and Art. She has illustrated over thirty children's books in Russia. Valerie has also published books in the United States, including King Arthur's Courage, The Golden Books Treasury of Christmas Joy, Thankful Together and Bella Basset Balerina. Valerie lives in Brooklyn, New York, with her husband Alex, daughter Nikkie and a friendly wild gecko in the basement.