Marcin Baranski doesn't own a dog, but after completing this book, he's thinking about it. Over the past six years, he has become a well-known illustrator for Cosmopolitan magazine, and he is also a fine artist.

Marcin lives in Krakow, Poland with his wife and two sons, but came to New York to research Jake's playground. While he didn't get to meet Jake on his visit here, he was given a few photos of him and when the Philharmonic staff first saw the book they gave him a standing ovation for perfectly capturing Jake's adorable face, as well as his spirited personality.