Nick Bruel is the author and illustrator of New York Times bestseller Boing and the phenomenally successful Bad Kitty picture books and chapter books, among others. He is a freelance illustrator and cartoonist who received the 2012 CBC Children's Choice Book Award, as well as several major state awards for his work. During his down time, he collects PEZ dispensers and grows tomatoes in the backyard. He lives in Tarrytown, NY with his wife Carina and their lovely cat Esmerelda.