Whistling Willie from Amarillo, Texas (Hardcover) (ISBN-13: 9781455620562)

A lifelong educator, Jo Harper has written many books for children and young adults in her storied career as an author. She has won several awards for her work, including the WILLA Literary Award for best children's book, the Western Heritage Wrangler Award for outstanding juvenile book, and an American Booksellers Association "Pick of the List" selection. Harper's work has been featured by PBS Storytime.

A native of Texas, Harper utilizes the style of the Texas tall tale, her favorite form, in many of her books. She received a master's in English from Texas Tech University and has worked as a teacher and educator for more than forty years. In 1977 she was a recipient of a grant from the National Endowment of the Humanities to study the fusion of visual and verbal art at Columbia University. Harper now serves as an adjunct instructor in English for Houston Community College.

When she's not writing or teaching, Harper enjoys visiting Texas-area schools, where she presents her books to young students. She lives in Houston, Texas, and has three children, including daughter Josephine Harper, with whom she collaborates on several children's books.