Recalling his childhood, John Lechner says, "Our house was always filled with art, music and creativity. We wrote plays, formed poetry clubs, painted murals, planted gardens, kept rabbits, built puppets, and invented games." John went on to study art and creative writing at Carnegie Mellon University, and has been telling stories his whole life.

John's first picture book was A FROGGY FABLE, the tale of a solitary frog that becomes frustrated by the changing world around him. Birds, otters, and falling trees seem to invade his quiet pond. "This story grew out of my own experiences," the author notes, "and I hope
readers will take away their own personal meaning from the story."
John's picture book THE CLEVER STICK is the story of an ordinary stick who find his voice.

John is also the author of STICKY BURR: ADVENTURES IN BURRWOOD FOREST, the story of a little burr who has extraordinary adventures with his forest friends. Blending elements of a comic book and a picture book, it received the 2010 Beverly Cleary Children's Choice Award from the Oregon Association of School Libraries. The adventures of Sticky Burr continue in STICKY BURR: THE PRICKLY PERIL, which was shortlisted for the Massachusetts Book Awards. Visit the Sticky Burr website for more stories and games: http://www.stickyburr.com

In addition to being an author and illustrator, John is an animator, puppeteer, musician and interactive designer. He works as an Art Director at FableVision Studios in Boston, a children's media company. He is currently working on several new projects.