Lita was born in Ketchikan, Alaska and raised in remote areas of Oregon, Utah, Nevada, and Wisconsin. She spent her summers in Wisconsin with her grandparents, both of whom were prominent wildlife biologists. The house was filled with a menagerie of owls, eagles, and other raptors. Banding harrier hawks and kestrels as well as rehabilitating falcons were all part of summer activities. She also traveled extensively with her parents, camping and photographing wildlife. A passionate interest in dinosaurs at a young age led her to study Geology in college and spend two field seasons working on dinosaur digs in the badlands of Canada for the Tyrell Museum of Paleontology. Now she draws on all these experiences and interests to do what she loves most, writing and illustrating children’s books!

Lita now lives in Peterborough, N.H. with her husband and two cats.

One Thousand Tracings:
Healing the Wounds of World War II
written and illustrated by Lita Judge
Hyperion, 2007
ISBN 978-1-4231-0008-9

“Judge's lyrical prose tells the true and poignant story of her grandmother and mother's endeavor to find shoes, clothing and foodstuffs for hundreds of Germans devastated by the war... The book is a powerful testament to one family's ability to affect the lives of hundreds.”

- Publishers Weekly Starred Review (6/11/07)

Teacher's Guide available here

Awards
NAPPA Gold Award; 2008 ALA Notable Book; 2008 Michigan Notable Book; New York Public Library 100 Children's Books for Reading and Sharing; Cybil Award Finalist for Nonfiction Picture Books; winner in the 2008 Storytelling World Resource Awards; 2007 NAPPA Gold Award winner from national parenting publications association; honored by the Society of School Librarians International (SSLI); ALA Book Links - Lasting Connections of 2007

D is for Dinosaur: A Prehistoric Alphabet
written by Todd Chapman and Lita Judge
illustrated by Lita Judge
Sleeping Bear Press, 2007
ISBN 978-1-5853-6242-4

Did dinosaurs really die out or is it possible they are still with us today? And what's bigger and scarier than the T-rex? From A to Z, D is for Dinosaur: A Prehistoric Alphabet provides the answers and current theories behind these questions, along with other fascinating aspects of prehistoric life.

S is for S’mores: A Camping Alphabet
written by Helen Foster James
illustrated by Lita Judge
Sleeping Bear Press, May 2007
ages 4 to 8, ISBN 978-1-5853-6302-5

Next to baseball and fireworks on the Fourth of July, nothing else seems as American as the family camping trip. From what to pack, where to go, and what to do when you get there, S is for S'mores: A Camping Alphabet takes readers on an A-Z trail exploring this outdoor pastime.

Ugly
written by Donna Jo Napoli
illustrated by Lita Judge
Hyperion, January 2006
ages 9 to 12, ISBN 978-0-7868-3753-3

“Trust Napoli to work her usual alchemy and make a fabulous coming-of-age-story from the bare outline of the reassuring ugly-duckling trope. . . Tucked into this wondrously spun tale so deftly that one might scarcely notice are beautiful lessons about finding oneself, about fitting in (or not), about the implacability of nature and weather and the importance of maternal advice.”

- Kirkus Reviews starred review 12/15/05