Zaiken enjoys the challenge of illustrating bygone eras: you have to “imagine Earth in different time periods and transport yourself there.” She lives in Minnesota on a back channel of the Mississippi River and describes herself as a “totally aquatic creature”—one who loves fishing, canoeing and kayaking. The river is home to an abundance of catfish, and she also keeps these native freshwater fish as pets in her 125-gallon aquarium. And she has four dogs and two snakes. “If you give me half a chance, I will fall in love with anything that moves,” Zaiken says.