Eric A. Kimmel resides in Portland, Oregon, although many of his books take place in places far away from his home and in eras long past. Having been brought up by his storytelling grandmother from the Ukraine, Eric believes he was destined to become a storyteller. The secret to his incredible success lies in his love of storytelling. "I read my stories aloud over and over again," he reveals, "trying to capture the music and rhythm of the words." His frequent storytelling engagements all across America testify to the fact that his self-assessment is correct.

Eric has written over 50 children's tales - some of the best-loved books in modern Jewish literature for children, including Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins which won a Caldecott Honor. He was a National Jewish Book Awards Finalist and his book Gershon's Monster is the winner of the 2000 Sydney Taylor Award. While the author has written many books based on tales of the Far East and Russia, the titles with which he has won awards have invariably been titles of Jewish interest and reflect his affinity for his roots.

Of Why The Snake Crawls On Its Belly, Eric says, "The germ of this story is taken from an ancient Rabbinic source which will fascinate anyone who has read the account of Adam and Eve in the Bible and wondered: Why - of all the punishments possible - was the snake punished with the loss of his legs. This story is also one of hope for the characters in the biblical saga, and for all mankind." Eric also wrote The Brass Serpent.

Eric and his wife Doris live with their dog, two cats, and a tank of tropical fish. They actually like snakes and hope that children won't confuse the real animals, which do a lot of good, with the creatures of legend.