Margaret Wild was born in South Africa and moved to Australia in 1972. She has been a journalist on newspapers and magazines, and worked as a book editor in children's publishing for sixteen years. She eventually quit to write fulltime. Wild has written more than 40 books for children. Some titles include The House of Narcissus, Jenny Angel, Tom Goes to Kindergarten, Nighty Night!, The Pocket Dogs and The Very Best of Friends. Her books are published around the world and have won numerous awards, including the Young Australian Best Book Award (YABBA) - Picture Book Shortlisted in 2001 for Jenny Angel; the New South Wales State Literary Award - Young Reader Shortlisted in 2000 for Jenny Angel; the CBC Book of the Year - Picture Book Winner in 2000 for Jenny Angel; the Young Australian Best Book Award (YABBA) - Picture Book listed in 2000 for Miss Lily's Fabulous Pink Feather Boa; the Australian Publishers Association - Design Shortlisted in 1999 for Jenny Angel; the Family Award for Children's Books - Picture Book shortlisted in 1999 for Jenny Angel; the Young Australian Best Book Award (YABBA) - Picture Book Shortlisted in 1999 for Miss Lily's Fabulous Pink Feather Boa; and the CBC Book of the Year - Picture Book Shortlisted in 1985 for There's a Sea in My Bedroom. In 2015 she had an Honour Book at the 2015 Children's Book Council (CBCA) Book of the Year Awards with her title, The Stone Lion.
Julie Vivas was born in 1947 and raised in Australia. After college, Vivas spent some time living in Spain and later exhibited the drawings she had made there in Sydney. She got a job working on illustrations for Hush the Invisible Mouse, later to become Possum Magic, as well as illustrating The Tram to Bondi Beach, which was Highly Commended in the Children's Book Council of Australia Picture Book of the Year Award in 1981. Possum Magic, published by Omnibus Books, was a runaway all-time best-seller, published around the world. It was also the NSW Premier's Award-winner and Winner of the 1986 IBBY Diploma for Illustration. The Very Best of Friends won the CBC Picture Book of the Year in 1990 and Let the Celebrations Begin! was short-listed for the same award in 1992. Also to her credit, Vivas was honoured with the prestigious Dromkeen Medal in 1992 for her contribution to the appreciation of children's literature. Vivas has also illustrated Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge; and I Went Walking; Our Granny and wrote and illustrated The Nativity. Let's Eat! marked a return to Julie's Spanish experiences. It was short-listed for the 1997 Children's Book Council of Australia Picture Book of the Year Award.
