Matthew laughs himself silly one day as he watches the banana-crazy monkeys at the Metro Zoo. That evening, bananas are Matthew’s favorite food — and he refuses to eat anything else! Over the next two weeks, he eats so many bananas that he starts to feel funny. He itches and scratches and itches and scratches until … KABLOOEY!

Suddenly, Matthew is swinging from trees and shimmying up flagpoles! His parents try everything to stop his monkey business — doctors, veterinarians, herbalists, chiropractors, animal trainers, psychiatrists and even a psychic. But nothing seems to work. Has Matthew gone completely bananas?

I was born in Poland at the time of World War II. My Mother always used to tell me stories from that time. I remember one in particular in which everyone in our hometown had to flee to their basements on a regular basis, from having heard sirens announcing that bombs were coming our way. It happened so often that everyone became somewhat accustomed to these constant scares. When my whole family gathered downstairs during one of these threats, with the sound of bombers roaring above, my parents realized that their few month old son, Andrej was left upstairs sleeping in his cradle. I was still fast asleep when my mother ran upstairs to take me to safety.

My father had a great art book library, and I was retracted into images before I learned to read. When I started to draw, I was drawing everywhere, even in math and physics notebooks to make them less boring. I was lucky to have wonderful art teachers throughout my education. After earning a Masters Degree from the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw, I began working as an illustrator and designer for many publications, including series of very successful movie and circus Posters. In communist Poland, everything that was printed had to be censored, no matter what it was. Even wedding invitations and children books had to undergo censorship.

Visiting the United States for the first time, in 1978, was like a breath of fresh air. Several years after receiving an art scholarship from the Kosciusko Foundation in New York, I emigrated. I became a successful graphic designer, and art director for numerous agencies and corporations. I was the recipient of many national and international awards. Later on, in Canada I discovered my interest in animation and got involved in the creation of many television shows and features such as Fern Gully, Pippi Longstocking, Heidi, Seven Little Monsters, Little Bear, Bob and Margaret, Max and Ruby, and so on.

Today. I am living in Canada, and continuing to work with children and young adult's books illustrations-censorship-free.