Franny Billingsley's books owe their images and rhythms to the songs her father sang - two songs every night, unless she chose a Scottish ballad with more than thirty verses. Than he'd sing only one song because he was faithful to every word and had four other kids waiting. Now Franny sings to her own two kids, and she reminds herself of the great gift her father gave her whenever she's tempted to skip a verse. She lives in Chicago with her family and works as a children's bookseller.