I grew up in Wisconsin as Kristi Gerner - the girl who'd get in trouble in elementary school for drawing too much during class.

I received a scholarship to Columbus College of Art and Design and graduated magna cum laude in 2000 with a BFA in Illustration. During college, I had an internship at a small children's book company where I learned different aspects of creating and marketing children's books.

When I was a senior in college, all senior Illustration majors were given an assignment to create an illustration for a leveled reader book to be published by Seedling Publications. Seedling choose my illustration as the winner and offered me my first children's book contract. I worked in Seedling's graphics department laying out children's books for a couple years after graduating college. To date, I've illustrated 24 books, wrote one book, and I'm currently illustrating a series of six books for Seedling. Check back in summer '08 to see those six super fun leveled readers!

I do freelance illustration full-time. I've illustrated hundreds of black & white line drawings for educational publishers. I also illustrate greeting cards and am blessed to have many greeting card designs licensed to Abundant Funds Ministries for their Christian Collection.

For the last year, I've been gearing my portfolio towards trade publishing. I enjoy telling stories through my artwork, and also with words. I have a couple picture book manuscripts I'm currently making into dummies to submit to trade publishers.

I'm an active member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, and I strongly recommend joining that organization, going to their conferences, and joining a critique group if you're interested in writing or illustrating for children.

Some of my favorite things in life are my husband, close friends and family, coconut ice cream, swing dancing, musicals, reading, my elliptical machine, and above all, my faith in Jesus.