Chris Barton’s favorite books as a child ranged from Lilian Moore’s Pickle for a Nickel to John D. Fitzgerald’s Great Brain series to The Book of Lists. His first work as an author, The Fozzie Brothers Meet the Monsters, enjoyed limited distribution (there was one copy) at the Lamar Elementary book fair in 1979.

In spring 2009, Charlesbridge will issue Chris' picture book The Day-Glo Brothers (illustrated by Tony Persiani), the true story of how young Bob and Joe Switzer invented those eye-popping oranges, yellows, pinks, and greens. It will be followed by a YA biography of folksong collector Alan Lomax (Bloomsbury), mysteriously named picture book "S.V.T." (Little, Brown), and a YA collection of profiles of real-life impostors ranging from charlatans to survivors (Dial).

Chris writes about his writing – and about other, more fascinating elements of the world of children's book publishing – on his blog, Bartography.
(http://www.chrisbarton.info/blog/blog.html).