Brian Lies is an American author and illustrator of children's books. His works include his NY Times bestselling bat series, Bats at the Beach, Bats at the Library, Bats at the Ballgame, and "Bats in the Band." Lies was interested in art since childhood, and while studying literature and psychology at Brown University he did political cartoons for the student newspaper, but was turned down when he applied for jobs at various publications. He then studied art at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and eventually did political cartoons for major newspapers and magazines. He had, however, long been interested in children's books, and when he was approached by Susan Sherman (art director for children's books at Houghton Mifflin), who liked the way he portrayed emotions on his animal character's faces, he ended up illustrating the first book in the Flatfoot Fox series, written by Eth Clifford. As of 2006 that series is still in print. He also does illustrations for the children's magazines Spider, Ladybug, and Babybug.
