About the Authors
Hi! We’re Deb and Dirk Kagerbauer. We have two sons, who in turn each have two sons, one of whom is McKinley. After living and working in Seymour, WI for 30+ years, we retired to Oshkosh, WI where we live on Lake Winnebago. Since retiring, we’ve been making the most of time spent with family, friends, and each other, while creating stories that children and the adults in their lives can enjoy. During our years of teaching young children (and adults) we developed the belief that using rhyme and rhythm in stories can help children unlock the reading code. We also believe that stories, especially stories with “fantastical creatures,” can help guide the behavioral choices children make. With these two beliefs in mind, we set out to write a story that was both fanciful and relatable. We hope you enjoy reading McKinley and the Present Pixies and will make it part of your holiday traditions.
About the Illustrator
Hello there. I’m Kelly Lane, an illustrator based in Texas. I graduated with a bachelor’s degree in fine art drawing fromTexas State University in 2006. I have taught for thirteen years in elementary education, from the tiny pre-k kids to the not-so-tiny third graders. This has afforded me a keen insight into the world of children and the innocent prism through which they view the world. Now I freelance out of my home studio, breathing life into imaginary worlds. I live in a cozy hobbit hole under tree and hill in San Antonio, Texas with my wife, two rambunctious boys, my Boston terrier Bobo, and a lazy bobtailed cat called Bobkitty.