With a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Vermont and an M.A. in Clinical Practices (Psychology) from the University of Hartford, Lydia Burdick’s career has been in human resources. Most recently, Lydia has been a consultant for the past 13 years with an international outplacement firm. In her career, she has designed and led many training programs and written accompanying materials to meet the needs of specific groups.

Lydia developed the concept of the Two-Lap Book™ series in the course of caring for her mother who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 1998. The idea for a book with illustrations of older people and simple text relating to activities older people still enjoyed occurred to Lydia when she realized that she didn’t know if her mother was actually reading or enjoying the magazines she was given to browse through. She looked for uplifting, appropriate material to read with her mother to determine her mother’s residual reading skills. When she couldn’t purchase this type of book at any bookstores, Lydia decided to write her own with an optimistic outlook and illustrations of older people that would bring smiles to her mother’s face. Before her mother passed away in 2003, Lydia and her mother shared many warm hours reading the book and conversing about the illustrations together.

Lydia’s first Two-Lap Book™, The Sunshine on My Face, was published in 2004 and has been widely praised by professional and family caregivers. Lydia lives in New York City.