Brian Lies (pronounced Lees) (born 1963) in Princeton, New Jersey and now located in eastern Massachusetts is an American author and illustrator of children's books. His works include his 2019 Caldecott Honor-winning picture book The Rough Patch, Got to Get to Bear's!, and his NY Times bestselling bat series, Bats at the Beach, Bats at the Library, Bats at the Ballgame, and "Bats in the Band." Lies was interested in art since childhood, and while studying literature and psychology at Brown University he did political cartoons for the student newspaper, but was turned down when he applied for jobs at various publications. He then studied art at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and eventually did political cartoons for major newspapers and magazines. He had, however, long been