Leo Lionni was born in Holland on May 5, 1910. He attended the University of Urich and also earned a doctorate in Economics from the University of Genoa. He taught himself to draw by visiting museums in Amsterdam. Lionni held several positions in the artistic field including artistic director and design director. He also served as president of the American Institute of Graphic Arts. His first book of over fifty titles was Little Blue and Little Yellow. Other titles include Inch by Inch, Frederick, Swimmy, and Alexander and the Wind-Up Mouse, all of which won a Caldecott Honor. In addition, he received the American Institute of Graphic Arts Gold Medal in 1994. Leo Lionni died in October of… 1999 at his home in Tuscany, Italy, at the age of 89.