Lauren Beckwith has been drawing animals since she was old enough to name them. Bedtime meant sneaking paper and crayons into the hall-lit doorway, ears primed for a creak on the stairs. Indoor recess saw her sketching one dog after another for eager classmates. Undergraduate lecture notes sported artwork in their margins. Custom pen and ink pet portraits she's produced can be viewed at https://www.facebook.com/art.by.lbeckwith. A Business of Ferrets is Lauren's first children's book. She lives in western North Carolina with her husband, son, and rescue Chihuahua mix, Dobby, named for the house elf he so strikingly resembles.