Gayle C. Shirley has written a dozen nonfiction books for children and young adults, including M Is for Montana, More than Petticoats: Remarkable Montana Women, and Charlie's Trail: The Life and Art of C.M. Russell. This book is part of a series she has written about animal legends from throughout the West. She has also written articles for magazines such as Boy's Life and Big Sky Journal.Gayle grew up in Colorado and Idaho and graduated from the University of Montana with a degree in journalism. She worked as a reporter and editor for daily Montana newspapers and as an editor for a publishing company before writing her first book. She is currently the public information officer for the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Resources. She lives with her husband, Steve, and sons, Colin and Jesse, in Helena, Montana.