Little America — Helen Foster James

Sights and symbols of the United States are brought to board book form for young book lovers in this charming book. Toddlers will delight in the ten rhyming riddles, framed by brightly painted, visual clues. Turn the page and see if your answer is correct! 

Helen Foster James has been an educator for more than twenty years and is now a lecturer at San Diego State University. She received her doctorate from Northern Arizona University. One of her goals is to travel to all 50 states, and she has already visited more than half. She lives in San Diego, California, with big stacks of children's books and her husband Bob. She is also the author of Little California, E is for Enchantment: A New Mexico Alphabet, and S is for S'mores: A Camping Alphabet. 

Jeannie enjoys visiting elementary schools around New England, sharing with both students and educators her original artwork, her love of the natural world and her excitement about the process of illustrating and writing children's books. Jeannie studied at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design. She lives in York, Maine, with her husband Greg, and their three children, Gregory, Sophie, and Lee. They share their home with a horse named Bailey, a wonderful Newfoundland, Cali, and two enormous cats (brothers) Macaroni and Tortellini.

Award-winning wildlife artist Michael Glenn Monroe began his career at a very young age. A self-taught painter, Michael spends his time meticulously honing his craft, often teaching himself many new and unique techniques to add to his paintings. Michael began his publishing career with Sleeping Bear Press in 1999 when both Buzzy the Bumblebee and M is for Mitten: A Michigan Alphabet were released. His knowledge and experience with landscapes and wildlife were a perfect match for Mitten, as well as subsequent state alphabet titles (S is for Sunshine: A Florida Alphabet and L is for Last Frontier: An Alaska Alphabet). Michael and his wife, Colleen, share a home in Brighton, Michigan, with their three children, twins Matthew and Natalie and John, born in May 2001.

Helle Urban has been an illustrator for more than 20 years. She earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts in illustration from Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California. Helle has illustrated numerous children's books, painted portraits of families and was a background artist in the animation industry. Helle's work has also been displayed in numerous galleries.