Brian Paul Cross is an educator, author, and illustrator.     As a biology professor, much of his working life is devoted to teaching courses in zoology and environmental science.  This work affords him the opportunity to share his love of nature, its beauty and its patterns, with others.   But the world of science has never been enough to satisfy the fussy organic computer that he carries on his shoulders.   And so, when not in the classroom, you will often find him painting, drawing, or writing—trying to add layers of narrative and meaning to the world around him.   He has published several short stories in literary journals, including The Louisville Review and Confrontation.   These stories derived much of their inspiration from the time he spent living and working in rural Senegal.   More recently, he has been drawing together his visual and verbal skills into more accessible works for people of all ages.  He has -published two picture books (see www.KingFroderick.com) and finished the first novel in a middle grade fantasy series (Tales of the Ogreguard).   He also sells his artwork separately under the label Erehwon Art (see www.ErehwonArt.com).   He lives in Tulsa with his wife, his two children, and an ever-changing menagerie of pets.