Astrid Sheckels was born and raised in the farming town of Hatfield, Massachusetts. She cannot remember a time when she wasn't listening to, telling, or illustrating stories. She grew up with her father's and grandfather's stories, so it's not surprising that Astrid herself enjoys telling stories--though she prefers to tell hers visually, using illustrations to give a story more depth and dimension. Astrid began expressing herself artistically at age two when she decorated her family's new wall-to-wall carpeting with wax crayons. Home school and private art instruction laid the foundation for her artistic education, which was formalized at Greenfield Community College. Astrid is a member of The Western Massachusetts Illustrators Guild and The Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators. Her first two picture books featured her illustrations: the award-winning The Scallop Christmas (by Jane Freeberg, 2009) and the award-winning The Fish House Door (by Robert Baldwin, 2010). For her third picture book, the award-winning Nic and Nellie, she is both author and illustrator.