Virginia Lee Burton (1909-1968) was a gifted author and illustrator who created some of the most beloved children's books ever written. Burton's novels feature heroes and happy endings, vibrant images, and a hint of nostalgia, and he won the Caldecott Medal in 1942 for THE LITTLE HOUSE. She lived in Folly Cove, Gloucester, Massachusetts, with her two sons, Aristides and Michael, and her sculptor husband, George Demetrios. She offered a design workshop here, and the Folly Cove designers, a group of internationally recognized professional craftspeople, grew out of it. MIKE MULLIGAN AND HIS STEAM SHOVEL and KATY AND THE BIG SNOW are two of her many great children's picture books.