Joanna Cole was born in Newark, New Jersey on August 11, 1944. She attended the University of Massachusetts, Indiana University, and City College of New York where she earned a degree in Psychology. Ms. Cole has worked as an elementary school teacher, a librarian, and a children's book editor. As a child, she loved science and explaining things and this is why she started writing children's books. She writes fiction and non-fiction titles. Her most well-known series are the Magic School Bus and the "Body." Cole's books have received a number of honors. A Horse's Body and A Snake's Body were both named Outstanding Science Trade Books for children by the joint committee of the National… Science Teachers Association and the Children's Book Council. In 1982, A Snake's Body was named a Children's Choice Book by the joint committee of the International Reading Association and the Children's Book Council. Both A Cat's Body and A Bird's Body were Junior Literary Guild selections. In 1991, she was awarded the Washington Post/Children's Book Guild Nonfiction award. She currently resides in Connecticut.
Stephanie Calmenson was working as a teacher when she decided to make a counting book, a book that would feature monkeys and would focus on addition and subtraction. One Little Monkey was her first book in the early 1980s and it was published by Parent Magazine Press t this point in her life, Calmenson was struggling with her finances and made a move into publishing. Her first children's book position was at Doubleday as an editor while she worked on her Master's Degree. Joanna Cole, author of the Magic School Bus stories was also working as an editor and needed an assistant. Calmenson got the job and Cole became Calmenson's mentor. Eventually they did several books together. As Calmenson… grew in her abilities, she left to take on the editorship of Humpty Dumpty. After a few months it folded and she was laid off. She went freelance but returned when there was an opening at Doubleday. Eventually, Calmenson left again and became Director of the Book Club at Parent Magazine as well as a full time writer in her own right. She has written over a hundred books.