Allan Eitzen grew up in the small town of Mountain Lake, Minnesota. He received an art education at Gustavus Adolphus College and the Institute of Art, both in Minneapolis, and at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. Eitzen worked for a publishing house, an advertising agency, and an art therapy program before finally settling into a successful career illustrating magazines and books for children. He uses watercolors, pens, pencils, and cut paper to create wonderful images ranging from soft and soothing to bold and brilliant. When not busy working on his illustrations, Allan enjoys family travel and reading. He likes to relax by tending his small flock of sheep amid the woods, pond, and beautiful countryside in Pennsylvania where he and his wife raise their five children.