Clark Haaland has been entertaining himself with an overactive imagination for as long as he can remember. What started as daydreams eventually turned into stories, drawings, and the occasional ridiculous idea that refuses to leave until it becomes a book. He grew up in Aberdeen, South Dakota in a house where curiosity and play were taken seriously. His mom ran a daycare and believed that if you were interested in something, you should just start and figure it out along the way. This led to forts, puppet shows, neighborhood adventures, and once even a sandbox in the living room. When things didn’t go your way, she had a simple response: “Tough bounce.” Clark later borrowed that phrase to name Tough Bounce, the home for the strange little stories he now creates.