CHRISTINE TAYLOR-BUTLER has written more than forty books for children, including biographies, state histories, and several science and fiction series. An avid reader since she was a child, Taylor-Butler believes that for many children books are their introduction to the vast diversity on our planet. Taylor-Butler is a past president of the Missouri Writers Guild, sits on the board of their children's literature chapter, and is a member of the MIT Regional Educational Council. She lives in Kansas City, Missouri, with her husband and their two daughters.