Taking inspiration from Robert McCloskey, Maurice Sendak, Susan Cooper, Jules Verne, and comic books, Eric continues to explore telling stories with pictures and words. Paying attention has brought his readers such intriguing picture books as the Caldecott Honor book Time Flies and the Caldecott Medal winner My Friend Rabbit. “My favorite part of the bookmaking process is the beginning: exploring, doodling, daydreaming, discovering. This is when ideas come alive, when thoughts are put to paper and made tangible.” A popular speaker at conferences and workshops, Eric often speaks in tandem with Candace Fleming. He lives in Chicago, Illinois.