A native of New England, Astrid Sheckels lives in Western Massachusetts. Her Scandinavian roots are evident in her artwork, which she describes as a "mix of classic realism and whimsy." Astrid is the author/illustrator of the award-winning Sea Dog, Sea Dog Boats: an alphabet book (both by Down East Books), the award-winning Hector Fox and Friends series and the award-winning Nic and Nellie. Her illustrations can also be found in the permanent collection of The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art.