Hector Fox and the Daring Flight

Astrid Sheckels cannot remember a time when she was not telling or illustrating stories, especially ones involving imaginary animals. A native of western Massachusetts and growing up in an artistic family, Astrid spent her childhood playing outside, using her imagination, and drawing. Her Scandinavian roots are evident in her artwork, which she describes as a “mix of classic realism and whimsy.” She studied Fine Art at Greenfield Community College and works as a full-time artist. She is a member of the Western Massachusetts Illustrators Guild and The Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators.

Astrid is the author/illustrator of “Hector Fox and the Giant Quest”, the first book in the whimsical Hector Fox series. Her debut as an author/illustrator is the award-winning "Nic and Nellie" (2013). As an illustrator, her other award-winning Islandport Press titles are "The Scallop Christmas" (Freeburg, 2009) and "The Fish House Door" (Baldwin, 2010).

Author photo by Elizabeth Joy Saunders.

"Sheckles not only writes her own stories, she also does all the very detailed and vividly colorful illustrations. The artwork is fabulous. [...] This is a wonderful, funny tale of friendship, creativity, adventure and a happy ending."  —Bill Bushnell, Kennebec Journal