Gregory Manchess is a self-taught artist whose paintings have been seen in such magazines as NEWSWEEK, TIME, ATLANTIC MONTHLY, READER'S DIGEST, and NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC. He has received gold and silver medals and the coveted Hamilton King Award from the New York Society of Illustrators for NANUK: LORD OF THE ICE by Brian J. Heinz. About GIVING THANKS, he says, "This story is a timeless expression of the love for nature and understanding our place in the realm of life . . . an understanding that children develop so quickly."