Alf Proysen was born in Norway in 1914. The Mrs Pepperpot books first appeared in the 1950s and were an immediate success. They have been loved by children ever since and have been translated into many different languages. Hilda Offen is a well-known picture book illustrator, who won the Smarties Prize in 1992 for Nice Work, Little Wolf. Since then she has illustrated many picture books, including Fred and Ted's Treasure Hunt. She lives in Brighton.