Lane Smith is the author and illustrator of It's a Book, A Stickler Christmas, Stickler Loves the World, and A Gift for Nana, as well as Grandpa Green, a Caldecott Honor book. He is also known for illustrating The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales, The True Story of the Three Little Pigs, and James and the Giant Peach. He has received awards such as the Kate Greenaway Medal, Lifetime Achievement honors from the Society of Illustrators and the Eric Carle Museum, and five New York Times Best Illustrated Books awards. Smith and book designer Molly Leach live in rural Connecticut.