Throughout his life, Benjamin Banneker was known and admired for his work in science, mathematics, and astronomy, just to name a few pursuits. But even when he was born in Maryland in 1731, he was already an extraordinary person for that time period. He was born free at a time in America when most African Americans were slaves. Though he only briefly attended school and was largely self-taught, at a young age Benjamin displayed a keen aptitude for mathematics and science. Inspired by a pocket watch he had seen, at the age of 22 he built a strike clock based on his own drawings and using a pocket-knife. This picture book biography focuses on one episode in a remarkable life. Shana Keller grew up a middle child in Middle America wondering exactly how clouds stayed in the air. She's traveled all over the country and some parts of Europe with her family and moved too many times to count. She's settled in Pittsburgh for now, a city built just for kids and one that she finds secretly inspiring. One of her favorite quotes is from Benjamin Banneker. "Every day is an adventure in learning." That said, she graduated from the University of Miami, Florida, with a degree in Communications, from UCLA's screenwriting program, and took a course in songwriting from Berklee College of Music. Her goal is to never stop learning. David Gardner is an award-winning illustrator and visual development artist. Before going freelance, he was an artist for several animation studios, including Walt Disney Animation Studios. His work has appeared in magazines, including Cricket and Cobblestone, and he has illustrated numerous picture books, including the historical biographies The Harvey Milk Story and Sarah Gives Thanks. A longtime member of the Society of Children's Books Writers and Illustrators, Mr. Gardner teaches illustration at Ringling College of Art and Design. To learn more about his work, please visit him at FlyingDogStudio.com.
