I am a child of the 60’s and early 70’s and I grew up heavily influenced by many writers but the two that had the greatest impact on me were Shel Silverstein and Dr. Seuss. Something about their ability to tell an engaging story with such easy flowing rhythm and rhyme really appealed to me and it eventually inspired me to write my own stories using these same elements. Over the past 50 years I have been writing verse poetry for just about every special occasion in my life. This includes loved one’s birthdays, anniversaries, funeral services and holiday celebrations. Christmas, in particular, has always been a favorite subject of mine and when my first daughter Alice was born I began a tradition of writing a Christmas poem every year that I shared with my loved ones and friends in our yearly holiday card. Most of the poems that you will find in my books were taken from this very special collection. I want to thank my amazing wife Karen, my two daughters Alice and Francesca, and my grandchildren Arlee and Jolene for providing me with the love and inspiration necessary to write these stories and my wonderful illustrator, Victoria Skakandi, for bringing them so beautifully to life.