Tim Hopgood is an award-winning picture book author and illustrator. His first book, Our Big Blue Sofa, was published by Macmillan in 2006 and won the Cambridgeshire Read it Again! award for best debut picture book.

In 2008 he won the Booktrust Early Years Award for Best Emerging Illustrator, with the hugely successful WOW! Said the Owl.

His books for Macmillan include A Dog Called Rod, Here Comes Frankie and his acclaimed preschool titles, TIP TAP Went the Crab, Hooray for Hoppy and Walter's Wonderful Web.

Tim Hopgood was six years old when he first heard Louis Armstrong's recording of "What a Wonderful World." Years later his daughter found a recording of the song in a flea market and gave it to him as a present.

As soon as he heard Louis Armstrong's gravelly voice sing the first few lines, he knew he wanted to capture the joy of the song in a picture book.