Jane Hyatt Yolen (born 11 February 1939 in New York City) is an American author and editor of almost 300 books. These include folklore, fantasy, science fiction, and children's books. She wrote the Nebula Award-winning Sister Emily's Lightship (short story) and Lost Girls (novelette), as well as Owl Moon and The Emperor and the Kite, Caldecott Medal winners, the Commander Toad series and How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight. In 2010 she received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the World Fantasy Awards.

Yolen was born in New York City and raised in California, Virginia, and New York. Her father was a journalist and publicist. She received her bachelor's degree from Smith College in 1960 and her master's degree in education from the University of Massachusetts Amherst in 1976. She was married to computer scientist David Stemple from 1962 until his death from cancer on March 22, 2006. She has three children: Heidi Stemple, Adam Stemple, and Jason Stemple, and several grandchildren. Yolen maintains homes in Hatfield, Massachusetts and in St Andrews, Scotland.^{[citation needed]}

Mark Teague is an author and illustrator of children's books. Teague has illustrated over 40 books including the Poppleton series, the First Graders from Mars series, The Great Gracie Chase, and other favorites.

Mark Teague was born in 1963. He grew up in San Diego, California, and went to college in California. When he was a child, he started writing books before he could even write. His mother would write the words for him. In interviews Mr. Teague says writing still feels like play to him. He loved books, and was working at Barnes & Noble doing window displays when he decided to write his first book.

Although he had no formal writing training, he quickly became a writer of over 20 children’s books. Additionally, he has illustrated over 40 books. Each of Mark Teague’s books starts as “notebooks full of sketches and scribbles, strange little drawings and phrases that suddenly come together” he has described in interviews. During his creative process, he doodles and scribbles with no aim. Most of his books address common childhood fears.