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BIOGRAPHY
John Steven Gurney grew up in Bucks County Pennsylvania. His first and greatest inspirations were Dr. Seuss and Maurice Sendak. As he approached fifth grade his influences switched to Bugs Bunny cartoons and Mad Magazine. By the time he studied illustration at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY his idols were N.C. Wyeth and Norman Rockwell. He lived in New York City until 1997, when he moved to Brattleboro, Vermont where he currently lives with his wife, his two children, his husky and his parakeet.
Dinosaur Train was inspired by his son Jesse, who as a toddler, was completely fixated on trains and dinosaurs (Jesse is now a teenager, and has moved on to other fixations).
John likes to use his friends and family to pose for as the characters in his books. So far more than forty adults and children from Brattleboro have appeared in The A to Z Mysteries and The Bailey School Kids.
When he's not chained to his desk he enjoys running with his husky and playing racquetball (not with his husky). He also enjoys attempting to ski and snowboard. Once a year he dusts off his saxophone and marches in Brattleboro's Strolling of the Heifers parade. John also works as a caricature artist throughout New York City and New England.
LEARN MORE ABOUT JOHN STEVEN GURNEY