When did wildcats first start living with humans? What do you call a cat with no tail? Which cat is a symbol of good fortune? Calico the cat answers these questions and many more as she shares a family album that features fabulous felines from around the world. Tildes brings the animal world to life again with her striking full-color paintings of over 20 unique and beautiful cat breeds.
Phyllis exhibited artistic talent at the age of two and a half when she presented her mother with a drawing of a butterfly, followed by a man selling peanuts at a peanut stand. She was anxious to follow her older brother and sister to school in Stratford, Connecticut, where she was soon writing poems and stories to illustrate and give to family and friends.
As a child she was always curious about nature and enjoyed exploring in the woods behind her home. The Limbacher house was always filled with pets and an occasional wild, orphaned animal.
Phyllis was a voracious reader and loved her town library where she selected stacks of books for summer reading. She would often climb onto a branch of an old chestnut tree outside the library to read a book and study the detailed art of one her favorite illustrators like Arthur Rackham and Beatrix Potter.
After graduating with honors from high school, Phyllis attended Rhode Island School of Design where she received a B.F.A. as an illustration major. She spent her senior year in Rome as a European Honor Student. For her senior thesis she wrote and illustrated an eastern European folktale for children titled Sasha.
Phyllis L. Tildes has worked as a designer for Hallmark and was the assistant art director for Hopkins Art Center at Dartmouth College after her graduation from RISD. She was a freelance graphic designer for over twenty-five years, doing everything from logos to opera and ballet promotion pieces.
However, she never lost sight of her original dream of becoming an author/illustrator and in 1995 her first children's book, Counting on Calico, was published. Since then she has published several other books ranging from pets and wildlife to ethnic tales. One of her more recent books, The Magic Babushka, evokes her own Russian heritage.
For many years, Phyllis has lived with her family in Connecticut. They have also lived in Nottingham, England and enjoy traveling to exotic places like the rainforests of Costa Rica. They live in Savannah, Georgia, where Phyllis enjoys birdwatching, gardening, writing, and expanding her artistic abilities.
