Melanie Joyce has written many successful titles for children and young adults. Formerly an editor, her passion now is writing stories that entertain and delight. She lives in the English countryside with her family and cat. Alex Paterson comes from a family of artists but was a soldier and a jungle leader before he became a children's book illustrator. He has illustrated for many publishers around the world. He particularly enjoyed illustrating What Pirates Really Do because he finally got to draw a giant sea kraken!