Scott Gustafson's first artistic inspirations were Disney and Warner Brothers cartoons. He pursued animation at the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts and Columbia College, but the discovery of book illustrations by N. C. Wyeth, Arthur Rackham, and Norman Rockwell galvanized him. His previous books include The Night Before Christmas, The Nutcracker, and Peter Pan. With Greenwich Workshop Press, he has created two original titles, Alphabet Soup and Animal Orchestra, as well as Classic Fairy Tales.