John Cassidy cofounded the children's book publishing company Klutz Press in 1978, and served as its creative head until 2000. He has written over 200 books and is a recipient of the Legacy for Children Award. He is the coauthor, with Thacher Hurd, of Paint This Book! Watercolor for the Artistically Undiscovered. He holds degrees in English and education from Stanford University, and currently lectures at Stanford's Hasso Plattner Institute of Design. He lives in Palo Alto, California.