Leonid Gore is an award winning artist, illustrator, and author. Born and raised in Belarus, he studied art at the Academy of Arts in Minsk. Since 1990, he has been living in the United States, where his enormous talent has been recognized throughout the publishing world. He has illustrated over thirty children’s books, five of which he also wrote. Critics have praised his work as "visually stunning" and "brilliant.” His books have been honored as IRA Children's Choice books and Publishers Weekly Best Books of the Year, have received starred reviews from the School Library Journal, and the Kirkus and Boston Globe/Horn Book magazines, and have been recognized as part of 100 Great Children’s Books by the New York Public Library.   He lives in Oakland, New Jersey, and works out of his studio on the banks of the Ramapo River.