Marion Dane Bauer was born in Oglesby, Illinois. She attended community college first, in her home town, and then went to the University of Missouri when she was a junior to study journalism. She quickly realized that journalism was not for her and changed her focus to the humanities and a degree in English literature. She switched one last time to focus on teaching english, which she did when she graduated college. After her children were born, Bauer decided to try her hand at writing. She started out with a children's picture book, but discovered that youg adult novels were more to her taste. After making a career out of writing, Bauer became the first Faculty Chair at Vermont College for… the only Master of Fine Arts in Writing program devoted exclusively to writing for children and young adults. Bauer is the author of more than forty books for young people. She has won many awards, including a Jane Addams Peace Association Award for her novel Rain of Fire and an American Library Association Newbery Honor Award for On My Honor and the Kerlan Award from the University of Minnesota for the body of her work. Her picture book My Mother is Mine was a New York Times bestseller.
John Butler has written and illustrated numerous top-selling books for children, all of which have featured the environment or animals in their natural habitats. His other books include 'Can You Cuddle Like a Koala?', 'While You Were Sleeping', 'Hush Little Ones', and 'Pi-Shu the Little Panda', and collaborated with author Sally Grindley on 'Polar Star', 'Little Tang' and 'Little Elephant Thunderfoot'. 'Little Elephant Thunderfoot' was shortlisted for the picture book categories of both the Sheffield Children's Book Award 1997 and The Federation of Children's Book Groups Awards 1997. John lives in Kent with his wife.