Meet Billy Steers & Tractor Mac

Watch a YouTube video of Billy talking about his work!

Billy Steers

Billy began using his artistic talents as a child, creating pictorial diaries of his daily experiences. He furthered his endeavors in college, majoring in Geography with an emphasis in Cartography at the University of Utah. At that time he also was a regular cartoonist for the student newspaper. After serving as a pilot in the United States Air Force, including participation in the invasion of Panama and the first Gulf War, he left the active duty service and began apprenticing with a well-known children's book author and illustrator, to learn the process of writing and illustrating children's books. During this time he contributed to over forty titles in a variety of formats as a contract artist.

Billy introduced the first book that he wrote and illustrated in April, 1999. Tractor Mac Arrives at the Farm, published by Golden Books, tells the story of Sibley the work horse who feels slighted when a "shiny new tractor comes and takes over his chores." Sibley and Mac overcome their differences and become "the best of friends." Publisher's Weekly called it a "bright, spirited read aloud" and after only five months the book was in its second printing.

Billy has continued on with several more enthralling and likeable Tractor Mac stories in the series. Children love the bright, detailed illustrations and absorbing stories, which have become "bedtime favorites." Subsequent stories include Tractor Mac Learns to Fly followed by Tractor Mac You're a Winner, Tractor Mac Builds a Barn and Tractor Mac Harvest Time. Tractor Mac Saves Christmas is due in 2007. Mr. Steers also wrote and illustrated The Little Book of Planes published by Random House in 2000, and illustrated Paws and Claws (Random House, 2001).

Billy regularly visits schools, libraries, and bookstores and performs readings, signings, and personalized drawings for children in the audience. He also performs a presentation of the illustration process which details step by step the work involved in the development of a story.

When he is not drawing, Billy is a commercial pilot with American Airlines and serves in the Air Force Reserves. He lives in Roxbury, CT with his wife and three sons.

Tractor Mac

The real Tractor Mac lives in Billy's barn in Connecticut. Billy's wife Julie found the 1948 Farmall cub at a flea market and gave it to Billy as a surprise for father's day shortly after Tractor Mac Arrives at the Farm was published in 1999. When Tractor Mac was brought home, he ran poorly and needed some body work. With the help from friends and a visit to the tractor doctor, Lou Tenza, Tractor Mac was back on his wheels in no time. Billy then created eyes and the mouth and Tractor Mac came to life!

Tractor Mac travels with Billy to fairs and schools and loves to be photographed. Most recently, Tractor Mac was on the cover of the September 2006 issue of Popular Mechanics when his home (the barn) was featured in an article on barns built by homeowners. When not traveling with Billy, Tractor Mac works pulling a wagon with firewood or fieldstone for stone walls.