Alexander Vidal studied cultural anthropology, and spent time living in Africa and Asia before starting his career in illustration. Travel, exploration, and a love for animals and wild spaces continue to drive the themes of his work. His clients have included the Monterey Bay Aquarium, The Sierra Club Magazine, and the California Academy of Sciences. In researching this book, Alexander Vidal visited wild spaces from Alaska to Florida, visiting more than 30 national parks, forests, and grasslands along the way. He hiked among bison in the grasslands, paddled through mangroves with sea turtles and stingrays, and got lost canoeing among alligators in the Okefenokee. Originally from Albuquerque, New Mexico, he lives in Los Angeles, California.