Rudyard Kipling was born in India in 1865. After intermittently moving between India and England during his early life, he settled in the latter in 1889, published his novel The Light That Failed in 1891 and married Caroline (Carrie) Balestier the following year.

They returned to her home in Brattleboro, Vermont, where Kipling wrote the two Jungle Books and Captains Courageous.

He continued to write prolifically and was the first Englishman to receive the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1907 but his later years were darkened by the death of his son John at the Battle of Loos in 1915. He died in 1936.

Saviour Pirotta has written over 100 children's books, ranging from picture books to novels. He has been fascinated by traditional tales since he was a child, and before becoming a full-time writer he worked as a storyteller for the Commonwealth Institute in London.

His titles include The Orchard Book of First Greek Myths and The Orchard Book of Grimm's Fairy Tales. He lives in Saltaire, West Yorkshire.

Alex was a soldier and a jungle leader before concentrating on his illustration career: following in the footsteps of his sister and cousin who are also both children's illustrators. He has had eleven books published so far. Alex lives in a little village in Warwickshire with his wife Sarah.