When Barbara Bietz isn't reading, she is probably typing away at her desk, surrounded by her two naughty (but nice) dogs. Barbara is often inspired by her favorite books and sometimes enjoys playing guitar, but, she says, not very well. Barbara's chapter book, Like a Maccabee, nabbed the 2006 Midwest Independent Publishers Association Merit Award. She is also the creator of the website Jewish Books for Kids and a former chair of the Sydney Taylor Book Award Committee, which honors exceptional works about the Jewish experience. Her favorite part about being an author? Visiting schools, meeting young readers, and eating lunch in the cafeteria--especially when it's grilled cheese day! Barbara lives with her family in Oak Park, California. In collaboration with John Kanzler, Barbara's award-winning picture book, The Sundown Kid, tells the story of a Jewish family's struggle to preserve their traditions in a small, desert town in the old west. Barbara's latest collaboration with John, Sweet Tamales for Purim, is told from the perspective of Rebecca, a young girl, who along with her new friend, Luis plan to create a Purim festival for their old west town before the family goat, Kitzel, undermines their plans and the fun begins. John Kanzler has been drawing on things as far back as he can remember and he is a completely self-taught artist. When he's not pursuing his art or spending time with his family on their Massachusetts farm, he pursues an eclectic range of interests, from astronomy to paleontology. ​ Ironically, John grew up in Norwalk, Connecticut, in a house formerly belonging to the cartoonist, William Steig who created Shriek!He currently lives on a small farm in Greenfield, Massachusetts with his wife Diane and his daughter Lorelei, along with their five cats. They also have several sheep and a llama or two. Kanzler has illustrated several books for August House, including the award-winning The Sundown Kid and Priceless Gifts: A Tale from Italy. In an interview with author, Barbara Bietz, Kanzler explains his process for creating the warm and timeless portrayal of a Jewish family struggling to preserve tradition in a western town.