Eileen Spinelli is the popular, critically acclaimed, and beloved author of nearly fifty children's books. With twenty-nine (and counting!) immediate family members, Eileen knows about kids and family and drew upon her experiences and imagination to create this sensitive portrait of a child handling parental separation. She also mixed in her fondness for diners-their blend of sights, sounds, and aromas evoke "instant good feelings and a craving for pancakes" in Eileen. She hopes that kids will be entertained and find a reflection of their feelings and lives within the pages of The Dancing Pancake. Eileen and her husband, Jerry, live in eastern Pennsylvania.

About the Illustrator

A graduate of the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California, Joanne Lew-Vriethoff began her career in television and has created artwork for many formats and media. Joanne's best art ideas often come when she is doing "the most ordinary but wonderful things," such as sliding down a slide or riding on her bike. Joanne's art first met Eileen Spinelli's verse in Summerhouse Time, to which Joanne contributed lyrical and charming illustrations. She and her husband and their children live in the Netherlands and enjoy driving trips and visits to castles.