Patti Stren is a writer, humorist, illustrator, animation designer, artist, cartoonist, voice over actor and producer. She has written and illustrated 17 children’s books and two novels, among other work. And has two animated shorts to her name: HUG ME and Mona Mon Amour. Patti was born in Brantford, Ontario, Canada. She earned her BA at the University of Toronto and her BFA at the New York’s School of Visual Arts.

Patti has been published by such distinguished publishers as Harper & Row, Fitzhenry and Whiteside Limited, Hyperion Books, Kawai Publishing Tokyo, Scholastic Canada Ltd; (Scholastic Press, Scholastic Editions, Éditions Scholastic) Toronto. HarperCollins Publishers, Caedmon, Sauerländer, Aarau, Switzerland and Frankfurt, Germany; E.P. Dutton (Unicorn Press); and Twenty-First Century Books, a division of Henry Holt and Company, New York. Her new HUG ME SERIES has just been published by The Shluffyland Express Press, Toronto and New York.

Among the many lovable characters Stren has created, one has emerged as a perennial favorite - Elliot Kravitz, the porcupine in need of a hug. Elliot was introduced in the book HUG ME. The renowned actress Blythe Danner recorded HUG ME and Other Stories by Patti Stren in 1983.

HUG ME first edition audio by Blythe Danner