About the Illustrator

​Renée Andriani has illustrated numerous picture books and cards for Hallmark’s Shoebox Greetings line. An avid Isle Royale National Park hiker and backpacker, she has volunteered with ROALPS' restoration teams at Rock of Ages lighthouse! Her work there inspired the colorful and accurate illustrations of the lighthouse, its interiors, and The Big Lake.  A native of Connecticut, she lives in Kansas with her husband and two big dogs and tries to visit the Lake Superior region whenever possible.

Shemmy's Wild Ride, a book Renee illustrated, has won the NYC Big Book Award for Juvenile Fiction!