Kathryn Otoshi is an award-winning San Francisco-based children's book author and illustrator. Her latest book, One ($16.95, KO Kids Books), is a story about bullying that teaches tolerance through imaginative use of colors and numbers.

During the day she works at director Robert Zemeckis's film company, Imagemovers Digital, which has produced such animated moves as Monster House and Polar Express. Before that, she was the graphic design art director for director George Lucas at Industrial Light & Magic.

With bullying being such an issue on school campuses, we asked Otoshi what she hopes kids, parents, and teachers will learn from the book, how images can instill character, and why a good children's book is like haiku.