Born in New York City, raised on Long Island, Jean Gralley is a writer/illustrator with lots of brands in the fire. Besides creating picture books, she loves writing plays, music, cartoons and experimenting with multimedia. Gralley has received the Don Freeman Memorial grant and Ezra Jack Keats Fellowship for book illustration. She's also been a frequent commentator for the "Loose Leaf" program on National Public Radio.
Gralley was staff artist of Cricket magazine for 14 years before leaving to write and create picture books full time. Her first, Hogula, Dread Pig of Night, was included in the Society of illustrators Original Art Show of notable picture books and her second, Very Boring Alligator was a CBC "Best Books." Her third, The Moon Came Down on Milk Street, will be released Fall 2004 by Henry Holt. Gralley is a full member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI), the Children's Book Guild of Washington, D.C., and of the Picture Book Artists Association. She lives outside Washington, D.C.
