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

I've written and illustrated one other book called A Froggy Fable published in 2005 by Candlewick Press. It is a picture book about a little frog who is unhappy with the changes going on around his pond.

I grew up in Needham, Massachusetts, as one of seven children. 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. I went to college at Carnegie Mellon University, where I studied art and creative writing. I worked as a graphic designer and a puppeteer for many years, 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 create the films The Dot and Ish, as well as the animated film collection Stories That Matter, Stories That Move, and countless software and web products.

If you have any questions about me or my work, feel free to contact me or visit my personal website.