Karen Hesse (born on August 29, 1952 Baltimore, Maryland) is an American author of children's literature and literature for young adults. She studied theatre at Towson State College, and finished her undergraduate degree at the University of Maryland in English, Psychology, and Anthropology. In 1998 she won the Newbery Medal for her young adult novel, Out of the Dust. Hesse lives in Vermont with her husband and two teen-aged daughters.
Jon J. Muth is a children's author and illustrator. His books have received numerous awards and critical acclaim. Stone Soup, a familiar tale set in China won a National Parenting Book Award. Books he has illustrated include Come On, Rain!, which won the Gold Medal from the Society of Illustrators in 1999, Gershon's Monster, and No Dogs Allowed. Zen Shorts is a New York Times Bestseller, a Quill Award nominee, and was awarded the 2006 Caldecott Honor. Zen Ghosts was published in September 2010 by Scholastic Press. His title, Hi, Koo!, is a New York Times Bestseller for 2014 and was published by Scholastic Press, as well.