Jack Keely (Los Angeles, CA) grew up in Binghamton, New York, where his interest in illustration and art began at a young age. He spent much of his childhood drawing from comic books and inventing his own characters. He credits his parents for encouraging and cultivating his skills and talents. Jack went on to obtain his B.S.A. in illustration at the Rhode Island School of Design and his M.F.A. in design at the Cranbrook Academy of Art. To share his knowledge of these areas with others, Jack taught at North Carolina State University's School of Design and Ohio University. He also worked as an advertising art director for six years. In 1994, he moved to Los Angeles to concentrate on freelance illustration. In addition to illustrating more than 20 popular children's books, Jack has been commissioned to create artwork for magazine articles, book covers, greeting cards, and shopping bags. His cartoon characters have been translated into plush toys, plastic figures, puppets, and rubber stamps.