I'm a former teacher as well as a picture book author. How I Became a Pirate and Pirates Don't Change Diapers evolved from the combination of a girlhood spent burying treasure in my backyard, and an adulthood devoted to teaching literature.

These days, I speak pirate fluently (all teachers say “Aargh!” once in a while) and insist that bedtime stories (the scarier, the better!) are a must for pirates and landlubbers alike.

I'm also the author of Hiccup Snickup, illustrated by Thor Wickstrom (Simon & Schuster, 2001), and When Papa Snores, illustrated by Holly Meade (Simon & Schuster, 2000). I live with my husband and two children in Greenville, South Carolina—not far, in fact, from two former pirate hangouts.

All illustrations copyright ©2003 David Shannon. Published by Harcourt, Inc. and reproduced with permission. All rights reserved.