Peter Vanderwall

Peter Vanderwall based Mac’s Big Wish on a bedtime story he created to tell his sons, Eric and Kenny, when they were growing up. The story was inspired by his first encounter with a therapy dog many years ago. Trooper comforted Peter’s mother and the other residents of a memory care center in upstate New York.

Mac’s Big Wish won the 2024 Patricia Gallagher Children’s Choice Picture Book Award, sponsored by the Oregon State Literacy Association. Over 12,000 school children voted for it as their favorite among five nominees during the school year.

Peter is also a screenwriter whose produced movies include Hide Away starring Josh Lucas and James Cromwell, Reverse Angle, Shadowheart, and Without Evidence.

Peter and his wife, Kathleen, share their time between the Pacific Northwest and Utah where they enjoy skiing, hiking, biking, kayaking, and other outdoor adventures.

Peter's author website includes free lesson plans for Mac’s Big Wish. Teachers, parents, and grandparents can find activities to help them support their children's attention to learning.

The author supports the work of the Humane Society of the United States.