Though he has no kids of his own, Tom Lichtenheld is very good with children's books.

So good, in fact, he has found himself a spot on The New York Times' best sellers list for children's books.

Lichtenheld, 54, of Geneva is a children's book illustrator and author. This is his first appearance on the best sellers list.

The book, "Duck! Rabbit!," marks Lichtenheld's fourth collaboration with children's book author Amy Krouse Rosenthal of Chicago. "Duck! Rabbit!" debuted at No. 4 on the best sellers list and now, four weeks later, is No. 10.

Lichtenheld worked with Rosenthal on the conceptual details of "Duck! Rabbit!," a story about an argument between two characters trying to decide on whether the creature they see is a duck or rabbit. He also created the illustrations used for "Duck! Rabbit!," admitting that it was somewhat difficult to turn one optical illusion - Is it a duck? Or, maybe a rabbit? - into a full-length children's book. It took him about a month to create the illustrations used for "Duck! Rabbit!" using ink, watercolor and a bit of colored pencil.

"The first challenge was to draw the duck-rabbit in a way so that it was completely neutral," he said. "The second was to keep the illustrations interesting and simple."

The inspiration for the book came from a philosophy professor Lichtenheld had in college. According to Lichtenheld, one day the professor drew the duck-rabbit on the chalkboard to demonstrate the nature of duality to the students.

"I loved the idea of the duck-rabbit," Lichtenheld said. "When I was giving a presentation at a school I drew the duck-rabbit for the kids and Amy (Krouse Rosenthal) really liked it and proposed writing a book."

Rosenthal and Lichtenheld spent about five hours going over the logistics of creating such a book and after about four months of work "Duck! Rabbit!" was created.

A bulletin board filled with pictures of laughing, smiling kids hangs on the wall of Lichtenheld's studio, located over the garage of his Geneva home. It is here that he does most of his illustration work. Whenever he needs ideas all Lichtenheld has to do is look to that bulletin board for inspiration.

"When I get stuck I'll ask myself, 'What would that kid like to see?' or, 'What would make them laugh?' " he said.

Lichtenheld maintains that children are his greatest inspiration. Whenever he visits elementary schools for presentations he always looks forward to meeting his young audience and always tries to view the world from their perspective.

"They say unexpected things and ask funny questions," he said. "Everything I see I try to see through the eyes of a child and how it might be magical or something that they might enjoy."

Despite his love of children, Lichtenheld and his wife, Jan Miller, have no kids of their own.

"I don't think I could do books if I had kids because I wouldn't have enough time," he admitted.

In addition to his illustrating and writing, Lichtenheld has a day job as a creative director for an advertising agency. He currently has two books awaiting publication and plans to continue publishing.

For more information visit tomlichtenheld.com.