About the Author

Margaret Mahy (1936-2012) worked as a librarian in her native New Zealand before becoming a full-time writer in 1980. Beloved by generations of readers, she wrote over 150 books for children and young adults, and in 2006, she received the Hans Christian Andersen Award (the Nobel Prize of children's books) for her contribution to children's literature.

Steven Kellogg has illustrated more than a hundred books, including IS YOUR MAMA A LLAMA? and THE DAY JIMMY'S BOA ATE THE WASH. He has also retold and illustrated the adventures of tall-tale heroes such as Paul Bunyan, Mike Fink, and Johnny Appleseed. He lives in Essex, New York.