B.G. Hennessy grew up in Wantagh on Long Island, NY. At the University of Wisconsin in Madison, she majored in fine art and learned how to design, print and bind handmade books. She also took courses in Children’s Literature. The combination of form and content in the picture book format fascinated her and after graduation she headed for NYC where she worked for 17 years in children’s book publishing as a designer and art director. She is the author of Road Builders and The First Night, as well as many books starring Corduroy, the loveable toy bear created by Don Freeman. She now lives with her family in Arizona.

Simms Taback (1932 - 2011) grew up in the Bronx and graduated from Cooper Union. He worked as an art director and a graphic designer and has taught at the School of Visual Arts and Syracuse University. He illustrated many children’s books, including I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly, Spacy Riddles, Snakey Riddles, Buggy Riddles, and Fishy Riddles (all written by Katy Hall and Lisa Eisenberg, Dial). His work has won many awards, including the Caldecott Medal for Joseph Had a Little Overcoat and the Caldecott Honor for I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly.