After a brief stint in the college textbook department of St. Martin's Press he moved into trade publishing, in 1977, where he held marketing positions at Avon Books, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, Atheneum and Scribners.
In 2002 at Holtzbrinck, he helped to found Roaring Brook Press, where he was Editorial Director of Neal Porter Books, and a leading voice in children's publishing.
[3] Authors and illustrators he has worked with include Laura Vaccaro Seeger, Philip and Erin Stead, Mark Shulman, Nick Bruel, Yuyi Morales, Jason Chin, Antoinette Portis, Sandra Jordan, Betsy and Ted Lewin, Wendell Minor, and Matt Davies.
Books he has edited have received many awards and honors, including the Caldecott Medal.
In September 2015, he received a prestigious Carle Honor for his contribution to picture books.