Stephen Krensky did not have the kind of childhood anyone would choose to write books about. It was happy and uneventful, with only the occasional bump in the night to keep him on his toes. He started writing at Hamilton College in upstate New York where he graduated in 1975. His first book, A Big Day for Scepters, was published in 1977, and he has now written over 100 fiction and nonfiction children's books--including novels, picture books, easy readers, and biographies. Mr. Krensky and his family live in Lexington, Massachusetts. Craig Orback is a freelance children's book illustrator living in the Northwest and received his B.F.A. in illustration from Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle in 1998. He has illustrated Nature's Paintbox, The Can Man, Keeping The Promise: A Torah's Journey, and other award-winning children's books. He teaches children's book illustration and oil painting at several local colleges. In his free time he enjoys painting landscapes and sharing his books with kids during school and library visits.