Margaret Mahy has lived in New Zealand her entire life. A former children's librarian, she decided to become a full-time writer in 1980. From picture books to YA novels, the age groups for which she writes vary as much as the characters in her stories. She won the British Library Association's Carnegie medal for The Haunting" and The Changeover: A Supernatural Romance." She has also written such books as Alchemy "and Maddigan's Fantasia. "An author whose books have received many accolades and praise around the world, Mahy was awarded the Order of New Zealand, the highest honor a citizen of that country can receive, and in 2006 she was announced the winner of the International Board on Books for Young People's Hans Christian Andersen Award, given to a living author whose works have made a lasting contribution to children's literature. Steven Kellogg was "moved by the simplicity, the subtleties, and the poignance of the writing in this story." He welcomed the opportunity to reillustrate it in full color. Mr. Kellogg is an award-winning author and illustrator who has created more than 100 children's books, including "The Three Little Pigs", "Paul Bunyan", "Johnny Appleseed", and "Sally Ann Thunder Ann Whirlwind Crockett". He is the illustrator of "Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town" and "The Baby Beebee Bird". Mr. Kellogg is a recipient of the David McCord Citation and the Regina Medal for his distinguished contribution to children's literature. He lives with his wife, Helen, in upstate New York.