Lane Smith recently described his artwork as a mixture between his fine arts background and low-brow influences like Monty Python and Mad magazine. He has tried making children’s books that are sweet and cute, but inevitably they take a turn toward the edgy. “I try to do serious stuff,” he explains, “but it just comes out screwy.” Lane Smith’s unconventional approach has resulted in many fans, numerous bestsellers, and a prestigious Caldecott Honor. Smith has collaborated with author Jon Scieszka on many favorites, including Math Curse, Science Verse, The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs! and The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales.