Every year, Radim's family has a delicious carp for Christmas dinner, selected from the huge wooden barrels that line the streets of Prague in December. But this year, when Radim sits by the bathtub feeding breadcrumbs to the fish that his father has chosen, he sees more than a delectable meal. In Carl, the Christmas Carp, Ian Krykorka writes a story drawn from his mother's childhood and from life in present day Prague as well. In the vibrant illustrations, Vladyana Krykorka lovingly recreates the city of her birth and her youth, down to the last glorious detail. As a child born in Canada, Ian Krykorka thought that eating fish instead of turkey for Christmas dinner would be strange. Still, he was captivated by his mother's tales of how back in Czechoslovakia her family kept their Christmas carp in the bathtub, feeding it kitchen scraps to fatten it up. After Ian experienced his first Christmas in Prague in 1999 and then lived there for six months in 2003, the time had come to write a book, which he did, using a computer powered by solar energy. Ian lives, writes and designs websites in Toronto, Ontario and is also the author of Silver Moon, illustrated by his mother. Carl notwithstanding, fish is one of Ian's favorite foods. Vladyana Krykorka is one of Canada's most-beloved illustrators of children's books, including Baseball Bats for Christmas, A Promise Is a Promise, Orphans in the Sky and Silver Moon. Vladyana immigrated to Canada from Czechoslovakia in 1968. She had studied art and architecture in Prague, and continued her education at the Ontario College of Art. She has won awards for her work, including the Ruth Schwartz Award. Vladyana lives and works in Toronto, Ontario. On Carl, the Christmas Carp, Vladyana worked in watercolor and ink.