A graduate of New York City's prestigious Cooper Union Art School, accomplished artist and calligrapher Don Bolognese went on to teach art there and at New York University, Pratt Institute, as well as at the Metropolitan Museum of Art's medieval museum, the Cloisters. He has illustrated more than 90 books for children, many of which he wrote himself; on many others, he has collaborated with his wife, the author and illustrator Elaine Raphael.

One way in which Bolognese has been able to connect teaching and illustration is through his many "how-to" books for children, which range from relatively simple exercises in drawing skills to more complex lessons in art techniques. Bolognese himself has illustrated a wide variety of fiction and nonfiction works, and his attention to detail and vivid presentation have earned him critical acclaim and numerous awards. A native of New York City, Bolognese now lives in New York and Vermont.