“The ecstatic energy and big-spirited inventiveness of the artist's drawings make the once all but unimaginable realization of that dream visible for all to see.” ―The New York Times Book Review

“Sís' most ambitious and personal book.” ―USA TODAY

“A sophisticated and sobering picture book exposé.” ―The San Francisco Chronicle

“The Wall makes for irresistible reading.” ―Washington Post Book World

“Mr. Sís's account belongs as much in the living room as it does in the nursery.” ―The Wall Street Journal

“Peter Sís [is a] master of the not-necessarily-for-children picture book.” ―The Los Angeles Times Book Review

“Peter Sís's The Wall... may be his finest book to date - no small feat.” ―The Boston Globe

“Glorious artwork.” ―Elle

“Will both engross and haunt his audience.” ―Starred, The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

“Complex, multifaceted, rich in detail . . . [Sís's] concluding visions of freedom are both poignant and exhilarating.” ―Starred, School Library Journal

“A masterpiece for readers young and old.” ―Starred, Kirkus Reviews

“Younger readers have not yet had a graphic memoir with the power of Maus or Persepolis to call their own, but they do now.” ―Starred, Publishers Weekly

“The deployment of media choices and color throughout the book is both expert and telling: bold, stark black marker for an invading Soviet tank, dreamy blue crayon for the night the Beach Boys played Prague . . . a comprehensive portrait of an era, an artist, and the persistence of the latter in the face of the former.” ―Starred, The Horn Book

“A powerful combination of graphic novel and picture book . . . Terrific design dramatizes the conflict between conformity and creative freedom.” ―Starred, Booklist

“Simply and effectively illustrates the history of Czechoslovakia's struggle with totalitarianism and evokes the dreams of his repressed people.” ―VOYA

“This stunning book is a MUST for anybody who is curious to learn about the world we live in!” ―Milos Forman, Oscar winning-director of Amadeus, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

“Peter Sís's book is most of all about the will to live one's life in freedom and should be required reading for all those who take their freedom for granted.” ―Václav Havel, former president of the Czech Republic

“Peter Sís, who has entranced children and adults with his magical stories and drawings, has taken his talent to a new level. Peter, born to dream and draw, is now also teaching the tragic history of his native Czechoslovakia under communism in this beautiful, poignant, and important work for those of all ages. ” ―Madeleine Albright, former U.S. Secretary of State

“This extraordinary achievement is a powerful reminder of the hard-won freedoms that drew so many to this country's shores.” ―Shelf Awareness

Peter Sís is an internationally acclaimed illustrator, author, and filmmaker. He was born in Brno, Czechoslovakia, and attended the Academy of Applied Arts in Prague and the Royal College of Art in London. Peter is a seven-time winner of The New York Times Book Review Best Illustrated Book of the Year, a two-time Boston Globe-Horn Book Award Honoree, and has won the Society of Illustrators Gold Medal twice. Peter's books, Starry Messenger: Galileo Galilei, Tibet through the Red Box, and The Wall: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain were all named Caldecott Honor books by the American Library Association. The Wall was also awarded the Robert F. Sibert Medal.

In addition, Peter Sís is the first children’s book illustrator to win the prestigious MacArthur Fellowship. He was chosen to deliver the 2012 May Hill Arbuthnot Honor Lecture for the Association for Library Service to Children. Peter won the 2012 Hans Christian Andersen Award. This award is considered the most prestigious in international children's literature, given biennially by the International Board on Books for Young People.

Peter Sís lives in the New York City area with his wife and children.