Rachel Isadora (www.rachelisadora.com) received a Caldecott Honor for Ben’s Trumpet, and has written and illustrated numerous other books for children, including Bea in The Nutcracker, Bea at Ballet, Jake at Gymnastics, Say Hello!, Peekaboo Morning, the Lili at Ballet series, and several classic tales set in Africa (Old Mikamba Had a Farm, The Night Before Christmas, Rapunzel, and The Princess and the Pea). She lives in New York City.
William Steig’s drawings appeared regularly in The New Yorker since 1930. He also wrote and illustrated books for children, most recently his memoir, When Everybody Wore a Hat. His other books include Sylvester and the Magic Pebble, winner of the Caldecott Medal; The Amazing Bone, a Caldecott Honor Book; and Abel’s Island and Doctor De Soto, both Newbery Honor Books; Doctor De Soto Goes to Africa; Pete’s A Pizza; and Zeke Pippin.
Ruth Krauss’s beloved picture books include two Caldecott Honor Books, The Happy Day, illustrated by Marc Simont, and A Very Special House, illustrated by Maurice Sendak, as well as the perennial favorite A Hole is to Dig, also illustrated by Mr. Sendak.
THOMAS LOCKER has written and illustrated many award-winning books for children, including the companion titles Water Dance and Mountain Dance. He lives in Stuyvesant, New York.
Mrs. Udry’s first book, A Tree Is Nice, illustrated by Marc Simont, won the 1957 Caldecott Award for the most distinguished American picture book. Mrs. Udry is also the author of Glenda, Let’s Be Enemies (also illustrated by Maurice Sendak), Mary Ann’s Mud Day, The Mean Mouse and Other Mean Stories, and Thump and Plunk.