Chris Gurney is the author of thirteen Scholastic New Zealand picture books, a large number of them part of the popular Kiwi Corkers series, which retells wellknown tales with a New Zealand flavour. Her stories are told with a faultless sense of rhyme and rhythm and show great humorous talent. Esau the Paw is based on Chris' own fluffy cat, Chevy! Chris lives in East Auckland with her family. John Bennett is a former animator for the BBC, but he now works full time as a freelance cartoonist and illustrator. John lives in Hokianga.