Ed Young combines meticulous planning and exhaustive research with the touch of an artist to illustrate children's books in a career that has spanned over four decades. Born in Tientsin, China, Young immigrated to the United States in 1951 to go to architecture school. A lifelong love of art, however, drew him to the Art Center College of Design in Los Angeles, where he graduated in 1957. A brief career in advertising art in New York preceded Young's fateful encounter in 1962 with Ursula Nordstrom, the esteemed editor of children's books at Harper's. Blessed with a legendary instinct for talent, she immediately offered Young a contract for a children's picture book. Thus began Ed Young's career as one of America's great children's book illustrators.

The stories, folktales, fables and myths he illustrates impart simple but significant truths about people and the world. Perhaps because of hours spent sketching animals on scraps of paper or napkins at Central Park Zoo, Young still often uses paper scraps or plain brown sacks as a medium for his renowned animal collages and paintings. His skill at animal images drew him into the world of children's picture book illustration. Reluctant at first because he thought all children's books were cartoons, Young was persuaded by Ms. Nordstrom to illustrate The Mean Mouse and Other Mean Stories. It was the first of more than seventy books he has illustrated. He received the prestigious Caldecott Medal in 1990 for Lon Po Po, and two of Young's books, The Emperor and the Kite and Seven Blind Mice, have been named Caldecott Honor Books. He has received numerous other honors including the American Institute of Graphic Arts Award, the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award, and the New York Times Best Children's Book Award.

Jennifer M. Brabander, author of Children's Books and Their Creators, writes: "Skilled in the use of a variety of media, Young is also skilled in choosing the best medium with which to illustrate a particular story; one example is the ancient Chinese paper-cutting technique used in The Emperor and the Kite. In the Caldecott Medal winner Lon Po Po, Young's illustrations reveal his interest in the panel art found in a number of cultures. The drawings are split into sections that give the art the appearance of Chinese decorative panels; however, strong color and dramatic angles transform the art, giving it a thoroughly contemporary look."

Besides Chinese cut paper, Young also uses charcoal, pastel, collage, and watercolor in his illustrations. While bringing an understanding of China's folktales and art to his work, he also exhibits a broad understanding and appreciation of other cultures. Settings for his illustrations range from Asia to Europe to North America. Young has an ability to distill complicated myths or folklore into a picture-book format without losing the mood of the original story. His work both illuminates the unique qualities of each culture it explores and reveals the universality of life experiences. The age-old technique of using animal stories to teach spiritual lessons is given new life by this versatile and talented artist.