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Hi, my name is John Lechner and I'm the creator of Sticky Burr. I'm a writer, illustrator, animator, designer, musician and puppeteer.

My first book for children was called A Froggy Fable published by Candlewick Press. It is a picture book about a little frog who is unhappy with the changes going on around his pond. I have another picture book called The Clever Stick, about a stick who wants to find his voice.

I grew up as one of seven children, and our house was always filled with art, music and creativity. I played the violin and guitar, and my brothers and sisters all had different creative interests. We had a backyard filled with trees, squirrels, grasshoppers and burrs, and that inspired many of my stories. I went to college at Carnegie Mellon University, where I studied art and creative writing. I spent several years as a puppeteer, designing and building my own puppet shows. (See my puppets on the left.)

I currently serve as Art Director at FableVision, the children's media company founded by Peter H. Reynolds, where I helped direct the films The Dot and Ish, and where I design children's software and educational websites.

You can read the answers to frequently asked questions on my Ask The Author page, and send in your own question. You can also visit my personal website.