Frances Watts was born in Switzerland and grew up in Australia. Her bestselling picture books include Goodnight Mice! (illustrated by Judy Watson), the winner of the 2012 Prime Minister's Award for Children's Fiction; 2006 CBC Honour Book Kisses for Daddy (ill. David Legge); and 2008 Children's Book Council of Australia award-winner Parsley Rabbit's Book about Books (ill. David Legge). The Raven's Wing, set in Ancient Rome, and The Peony Lantern, set in nineteenth-century Japan, are her first middle grade/YA novels.

Over 35 years, Ann James has collaborated with many authors, illustrating picture books that almost always feature animals! In fact, her own pets are characters in The Midnight Gang; Dog In, Cat Out; The Way I Love You and Chester and Gil.

Ann's playful approach to illustrating is evident in her choice of media and techniques. Some of her memorable picture-book characters are in Lucy Goosey; I'm a Dirty Dinosaur; I'm a Hungry Dinosaur; Bird and Bear and Bird and Bear and the Special Day.

She looks forward to readers getting to know Samantha and Sebastian in A Very Quacky Christmas! Ann lives in Melbourne, where she and her partner run Books Illustrated, a gallery specialising in promoting picture books and their creators.