Polly Beam was born in a big city and raised in a tiny little county about sixty miles west. She left to attend Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY, where she spent as much time reading the 'Harry Potter' books as she did studying. She had a great four years at Pratt, learning from wonderful professors such as James Ransome, Megan Halsey, Matthew Reinhart, and Ted and Betsy Lewin. Since graduation, she has worked as a freelance illustrator and art teacher, amongst other jobs. In her free time, she sleeps, draws, and spends far too much time on her computer. When she grows up she'd like to be a children's book illustrator or a pirate - it's a toss up. For more on what Polly's doing this very minute, visit her blog.