Stephen Huneck was the bestselling, award-winning author of seven previous Sally adventures and an internationally acclaimed painter, sculptor, and printmaker. His artwork is in the collections of the American Folk Art Museum and the Smithsonian American Art Museum. He lived with his wife, Gwen, and their four dogs in St. Johnsbury, Vermont, near Dog Mountain, where his Dog Chapel is located. His own dog, Sally, was Huneck's inspiration for these books. Huneck died in 2010.