Belgian author and illustrator Guido Van Genechten won the Hasselt International Illustrators Award in 1998 with his picture book "Ricky." This prize was the beginning of his international career as a children's book illustrator. In 2007 he was the winner of the Reader's Digest Award for Best Children's Book Illustrator, and his book "Little Kangaroo" was declared Best Picture Book of the Year. Besides Ricky and Little Kangaroo, Guido has created many popular characters, including Little White Fish, Snowy the polar bear, Tito the clown, and Max the badger. Guido studied drawing and painting, graphics, and photography at the Academy of Fine Arts in Mol, Belgium. For many years he worked in the graphic industry. Now he works as a full-time writer and illustrator of children's books.