Mary Stolz (1920–2006) published her first book for young people in 1950 with Ursula Nordstrom and never looked back. She wrote more than sixty books, which were published in nearly thirty languages, and received two Newbery Honors (for Belling the Tiger and The Noonday Friends). She was also the recipient of the Kerlan Award, which honored her entire body of work.
Pat Cummings was born in Chicago but grew up traveling with her military family all over the world. She has been writing and illustrating children’s books since she graduated from Pratt Institute and is the author and/or illustrator of more than forty books. In addition to her art for the Coretta Scott King Award winner My Mama Needs Me by Mildred Pitts Walter, Pat’s luminous work includes Angel Baby; Clean Your Room, Harvey Moon!; and the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award winner Talking With Artists. She teaches children’s book illustration and writing at Parsons School of Design, the New School, and Pratt Institute. She lives in Brooklyn, New York. You can visit her online at www.patcummings.com.