Phyllis Alsdurf is a Minnesota educator and author of three children's picture books: A Simple Christmas on the Farm (Beaming Books, 2021), It's Milking Time (Minnesota Historical Society Press, 2019) and Thanksgiving in the Woods (Beaming Books, 2017). She has more than 20 years experience in magazine writing and editing, as well as teaching creative writing and journalism on the college level. She holds master's degrees in journalism and humanities and a PhD in journalism.