Liza Lou and the Yeller Belly Swamp
by Mercer Mayer

Mercer Mayer was born on December 10, 1943 in Little Rock, Arkansas. His father was in the Navy so the family moved around many times. The Mayers finally settled in Honolulu, Hawaii. Mercer divided his free-time between snake and lizard hunting in the nearby swamps and reading picture books.

After he graduated from high school, he moved to New York City to study art. He decided he wanted to be a children's book illustrator. His professors discouraged this ambition since they felt he could not make a living at it. Mercer worked for an advertising agency for a period of time but was able to get some children's book illustration work.

He published his first book, A Boy, a Dog, and a Frog, a wordless picture book, in 1967. It was a success and highly praised. He is given credit as one of the creators of the wordless picture book form. He illustrated five more books in this series. Today, he has written and/or illustrated more than eighty picture books which include a broad range of illustrative styles. He enjoys telling stories through pictures and words.