The daughter of illustrator Stan Ekman, Jean Ekman Adams grew up in his studio, hanging over the back of his chair, watching him create magazine covers for The Saturday Evening Post and Collier’s. After 30 years of exhibiting her paintings in national galleries, she finally turned to writing and illustrating picture books herself, something her father had always urged her to do. She spent the winters in Arizona and the summers in the mountains of Colorado, accompanied by four elderly rescued dogs, a Missouri saddle mule, and a homely but intelligent donkey.