Kit Umscheid was born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. She grew up in a family of six with two brothers and one sister. Kit knew from the age of four that she wanted to be an artist. Her mother took her to the library A LOT where she fell in love with books and illustrating at an early age. She began her career in art a few years after high school as a freelance artist in the New Orleans, Louisiana area. Kit graduated with high honors from Kirkwood Community College and Magna Cum Laude from Mount Mercy College in Cedar Rapids. With 18 years of experience in graphic design and illustration, she has created a variety of commercial pieces including web design and animation for The Children’s Heart Institute (www.childrenheartinstitute.

org). Kit is currently an award winning graphic designer and illustrator for Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Kit lives in Clarence, Iowa with her husband, Chris, Rerun the puppy (who modeled for the dog in Pirate’s Alphabet) and Cloe the attack cat. This is the first children’s book she has illustrated.