Stephen Costanza is the author and illustrator of several picture books for children, including A Christmas Spider’s Miracle. His latest book, King of Ragtime: The Story of Scott Joplin, received starred reviews from Kirkus Reviews, Publishers Weekly, and Booklist, and went on to win the Golden Kite Award in 2022 for picture book illustration. For several years he played the piano professionally alongside a violinist, performing ragtime, jazz, and classical music. He lives and works in North Haven, an island in Maine.