Author and Illustrator Brent Given grew up just outside of Anaconda, a small town in South-West Montana. Living in the country away from town gave Brent, his family and friends many opportunities to run free and explore the countryside. Brent’s family did not have a TV in the home, so he and his siblings came up with other ways to entertain themselves which usually meant that they were outside running around in the mountains. Living in the country as they did, “outside” was not limited to the fenced back yard or even the adjacent neighborhood. It included hundreds of square miles of mountains and forest that could be accessed on foot, on bikes and even repaired junk cars and trucks. The life of a young boy in the mountains of Montana is quite different than the life of most boys the same age, especially those that live in big cities. Brent wanted to document the activities that he was able to enjoy as a young boy but was not very interested in writing it down in a journal type format. That’s when he came up with the idea to write them down in story format. Thus the Bug series was born. All the explorations and adventures depicted in the books are things that Brent was involved in as a young boy in the mountains of Montana. “Bug” is a nickname that Brent and his wife, Krisi gave to their son, Branigan. As he wrote Brent discovered that keeping the story 100% accurate was somewhat problematic for short children’s books because he would have to introduce multiple characters and locations that would require far too much explanation. Therefore some of the events are depicted with only Bug and his brother, when in fact there may have been other siblings, relatives and friends who were with him at the time of the actual events. But, the essence of the stories and events are preserved in the stories all the same. Brent has tried to include a portrayal of the loving kindness and freedom that was provided by his parents and siblings. “It was such a wonderful place and time to grow up and we had such a fantastic group of family and friends to share it with.” explains Brent. As he wrote, he realized that it was less about the activities and more about the relationships with friends and families that he benefited from. “This is what I have tried to capture in the stories. It is not just about the specific events, but more about the way that parents interact with their children and the way we as children interacted with siblings, relatives and friends.” Brent feels that while the time and location played a great role depicted in the stories and adventures of Bug, a family can provide similar experiences anywhere in the world. The main point is the carefree, loving, nurturing environment that is created within a family that involves their children in a variety of activities.