The People Behind the Book

The Author
When Ruthie Knapp lived in Paris, she was struck by the hordes of visitors surrounding the Mona Lisa in the Louvre Museum.  She decided to learn more about the painting and discovered that the lady in the frame had an intriguing story to tell.  Now a gallery instructor at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Ruthie leads collection tours for both children and adults.  She is the co-author of five Off the Wall Museum Guides for Kids:  Impressionist Art, American Art, Modern Art, Egyptian Art, and Greek and Roman Art. Who Stole Mona Lisa? is her first picture book.  She lives outside Boston with her husband and their black Labrador retriever, Tippy.

The Illustrator
Jill McElmurry once visited the Louvre and saw the Mona Lisa—sort of.  Through the crowd she could see an eye here, a shoulder there and part of that famous smile, but never the whole painting at once.  She is the illustrator of many picture books, including Mad About Plaid and I'm Not a Baby!, both of which she also wrote.  She lives in New Mexico with her husband, two dogs, three peach trees, four apple trees, one fig tree and assorted cacti.

Contact Ruthie today for more information about her entertaining and educational children's book.