SUSAN MIDDLETON ELYA is the author of more than fifteen books for children, including the Say Hola to Spanish series, illustrated by Loretta Lopez, and Oh No, Gotta Go!, a Junior Library Guild Selection, illustrated by G. Brian Karas. Susan taught Spanish for ten years, and now lives in northern California with her husband, three children, and two dogs. She used to shop with babies, and although they were cute, they were never very helpful!
Children's author and illustrator, G. Brian Karas was born in Milford, Connecticut in 1957. After graduating from Paier School of Art, he worked as a greeting card artist and a commercial illustrator. Home on the Bayou, a Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor, was his first illustrated book. Since then, he has illustrated over seventy books for children. Titles authored and/or illustrated by Karas have won numerous other awards. Saving Sweetness written by Diane Stanley was a Capitol Choices Noteworthy Book for Children in 1996, received a Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books Blue Ribbon in 1996, and was a School Library Journal Best Book of 1996. Like Butter on Pancakes by Jonathan London… was a School Library Journal Best Book of 1995. The Class Artist, written and illustrated by Karas, was a Smithsonian Magazine's Notable Book for Children in 2001 and received the Oppenheim Toy Portfolio 2002 Best Book Gold Award.