Tynia Thomassie, a Louisiana native, teaches middle school in New Jersey where she lives with her husband, jazz guitarist Dave Stryker, and their two sons. Ms. Smith lives in Pittsford, New York, with her pup Daisy. She received a Bachelor of Fine Art degree from Rochester Institute of Technology in 1961. She was an editorial illustrator for Rochester Gannett newspapers, and taught illustration at R.I.T. She has been drawing since she could hold a pencil in her hand and has been illustrating trade books since 1985.