Trina Schart Hyman was born on April 8, 1939 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She studied at the Philadelphia Museum College of Art, the Boston Museum School of Art, and Konstfackskolan, the Swedish State Art School. While living in Sweden, she got her first illustration job with Brown and Little. Her first work, Toffe and the Little Car, was published in 1961. During her lifetime, she illustrate over 150 children's books. She received numerous awards including a Horn Award for King Stork in 1973, the Caldecott Medal for Margaret Hodges's St. George and the Dragon: A Golden Legend Adapted from Edmund Spenser's 'Faerie Queen', and Caldecott honors three times for Little Red Riding Hood, A… Child's Calendar, and Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins. She also wrote and illustrated her own books including How Six Found Christmas, A Little Alphabet, Little Red Riding Hood, and Self-Portrait: Trina Schart Hyman. She joined the staff of Cricket magazine for children as an artist and illustrator in 1972 and became its art director before leaving in 1979. She died from complications of breast cancer on November 19, 2004 at the age of 65.