Greetings everyone!

I was the first born child, raised in small town Iowa. To have someone to play with I created an imaginary playmate, Pickens. But Picken was short lived when my sister was born two years later. 
 
As a teen, I did alot of babysitting. To entertain children, I made books which I wrote and illustrated. A family friend, read my books to her second grade class. They were goofy stories about a talking Liberty Bell and a peanut stealing elephant. My intererst in children's books began.



I majored in illustration in college. For one project I wrote and illustrated “Super Oreo,” a brown covered, round book. After graduating from the University of Kansas, I worked as a graphic designer. I created brochures and logos for many years. But I always wanted to write and illustrate for children. In 2001 I decided to fulfill that dream by taking children's writing classes.

In 2003 my first non-fiction article was 
published in "Nature Friends" children's magazine. Then my first children's illustrations were published in Wee Ones magazine in July 2004. 

I use unusual “fun facts” in my non-fiction articles, hoping kids think it’s interesting too. Several of my non-fiction articles are published in "Appleseeds," "Boy's Quest,"
"Cobblestone," "Cousteau Kids," "Discovery Trails," "FACES, "Family Fun,"
"Highlights," "Hopscotch," "Nature Friends," "Odyssey" and "Wee Ones" children's magazines.  

I've written three non-fiction children's books. "Cash Crop to Cash Cow-The History of Tobacco and Smoking in America" published by Mason Crest. And "Easy Origami" and "Not-Quite-So-Easy Origami" by Capstone Press. Four more books are due out in 2010 and eight more are due out in 2111 all by Heinemann Library.

I live in Iowa with my husband and two college kids. I work as a graphic designer for a local newspaper. In my spare time I enjoy traveling, gardening, walking, baking, and doing arts & crafts. 

I'm a member of the SCBWI and serve as the NW Iowa SCBWI chairman. I completed the Institute of Children's Literature course in 2001. I attended Highlights' 2003 Writer's Workshop and the Chicago Art Institute Children's Illustration workshop in 2004.


To contact me, email: MMeinking@hotmail.com

“Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.” - Pablo Picasso