Max lives in Central New York, and his grandmother Nan, lives outside of Portland, Oregon. The East Coast isn't far from the West coast at all when there is a story in the works. It all began with a backpack that Max described and Nan drew. "It looks like any ordinary pack on the outside", he said, "but when you open it up, there's a universe inside!" The backpack led to a paragraph Max wrote about a Racoon named Tommy. Nan offered some ideas for a second paragraph, and they were off. Over several months and many zoom calls, NestleBurrow was born and filled with woodland friends inspired by beloved family members and anecdotes, and brought to life in Nan's winsome illustrations.