Kenneth Grahame was born in Edinburgh in 1859, but, following the death of his mother when he was only five years old, was brought up by his grandmother in Berkshire. Grahame began writing as a means of escaping the drudgery of his job at the bank, and he soon began to have pieces published in journals. The Wind in the Willows began as a bedtime story for Grahame's son Alistair, nicknamed 'Mouse', and was further embellished by Grahame in letters to his son. The book was published in 1908 and eventually became a huge bestseller. Robert Ingpen was born in 1936 in Geelong, Australia, and still lives and works nearby in Barwon Heads. In 1986 he was awarded the Hans Christian Andersen Medal for his contribution to children's literature and he has been honoured with Membership of the Order of Australia.