The idea for "Emma and the Wild Boar" began in the winter of 2003, when the author and his wife were visiting the Christmas markets in Germany. While in Leipzig the author purchased a small stuffed animal in the shape of a wild boar as a Christmas gift for his one-year-old granddaughter, Emma. In an effort to make the gift more interesting the author created a story about the wild boar and both were given to Emma at Christmas that year. Emma seemed to approve of the wild boar and the story, so it was decided to create a book to share with other children. With the help of Craig Howarth, whose wonderful illustrations bring the story to life, the book you are now holding in your hands was born. All of the characters in the book, with the exception of the wild boar are real members of Emma's family, Chaucer was the most recent sheepdog owned by the family, Uncle Adam has written Emma the song referred to in the book, and Grandma lives in the House surrounded by the "Great Woods" Emma now has a baby sister Bess, and it is hoped that more stories about the adventures of Emma and Bess will appear in the future. The illustrator Craig Howarth is an architect by training but an illustrator, painter and photographer by profession. He has illustrated a number of children's books. Craig lives and works in Durban South Africa. Grandpa Wally is a practicing attorney, and lives with Grandma, in the house in the "Great Woods" in northern Illinois.