Catherine Friend lives on a farm in Minnesota with one hundred sheep, three llamas, five ducks, five peacocks, two cats, two dogs, and many, many chickens. The author of six children's books, one nonfiction book for adults, and two romantic adventure novels for adults due out in 2007, Catherine would rather write than wrangle sheep, but is proud she can do both. (Learn more about her farm.)

She has a B.A. in Economics and Spanish, and a M.S. in Economics, neither of which she has used for years. She has held an impressive array of odd jobs, such as working in bookstores, packing cheese and sausage gift boxes, weeding on an organic vegetable farm, and working an assembly line packing boxes of Christmas decorations.

For many years she taught writing for the Institute of Children's Literature, then worked as a freelance editor. She currently gives writing workshops, volunteers on the local library board, does chores on the farm, is afraid of geese, and wears an Elvis watch.

The Perfect Nest
illustrated by John Manders
Candlewick/Walker, February 2007
ISBN 978-0-7636-2430-9

Jack the cat is building the perfect nest. It’s bound to attract the perfect chicken, who will lay the perfect egg, which will make the perfect omelet. And sure enough, a chicken shows up ("¡Caramba!"), but so do a duck ("Sacré bleu!") and a goose ("Great balls of fire!"). Feathers get ruffled—and Jack gets much more than breakfast—in a funny tale rich in detail with a sweet final twist.

Eddie the Raccoon
illustrated by Wong Herbert Yee
Candlewick, 2004
ISBN 978-0-7636-2334-0

An appealing and mischievous young raccoon steals Big Chicken's eggs, gets his nose stuck in a jam jar, digs deep holes, and stumbles upon a grumpy bear's cave. Featuring thick lines and warm colors, Yee's carefully composed illustrations are eye-catching.

Funny Ruby
illustrated by Rachel Merriman
Candlewick/Walker, 2000
ISBN 978-0-7636-1065-4

Perfect for the earliest readers, the Ruby books use repetitive text and strong visual cues to help readers in the advancement of their skills.

Silly Ruby
illustrated by Rachel Merriman
Candlewick/Walker, 2000
ISBN 978-0-7636-1071-5

Four stories about the antics of a silly sheep named Ruby as she plays in the dirt, eats a cow's corn, makes too much noise, and knocks apples from a tree.

The Sawfin Stickleback: a Very Fishy Story
illustrated by Dan Yaccarino
Hyperion Press, 1994
ISBN 978-1-5628-2473-0

People still talk about the time my little brother Mark caught the gigantic sawfin stickleback—the biggest, meanest, and scariest fish to ever live in Amber Lake. It all began the first time he came ice fishing with me and Grandpa. The fishing was pretty slow that day, and our bobbers weren't even getting nibbles until a dark shape swam beneath the ice...

This humorous fish story, brilliantly illustrated by Dan Yaccarino’s bold, graphic art, will keep young readers on the edge of their seats wondering if—and how—Mark will land the sawfin stickleback.

My Head is Full of Colors
illustrated by Kiki
Hyperion Press, 1994
ISBN 978-1-5628-2360-3

Maria awakes one morning to find her normally spiky brown hair replaced by all the colors of the rainbow. Her head is full of colors, and on this day she draws and paints like never before. The following morning Maria awakes to find her head full of books. They tell her about faraway places, creepy spiders, and rockets that fly to the moon. And it isn’t long before her head is full of animals and then people. But one day something unexpected happens: Maria awakes to find her head is full of—nothing. Or maybe there is something after all.