Biographical note

Geraldine McCaughrean has written over 140 books and plays for both adults and children. Her awards include the Carnegie Medal, the Whitbread Children's Book Award (three times), the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize, the Smarties Bronze Award (four times), the Blue Peter Book of the Year award and the Blue Peter Special Book to Keep Forever award. Geraldine is the first author to have been shortlisted, by librarians, for the Carnegie Medal six times, on at least one occasion in each of the past four decades, thus once again recognising the quality of her writing over the years. Geraldine has written many books for Orchard, including, The Orchard Books of Greek Gods and Goddesses, The Orchard Book of Roman Myths, and The Orchard Book of Stories from the Ballet. Geraldine lives in Berkshire.
Emma Chichester Clark trained at the Chelsea College of Art and The Royal College of Art before becoming a full-time illustrator. She was awarded the Mother Goose Award as the most promising newcomer to children's book illustration. She has since illustrated a number of books for Orchard including, The Orchard Book of Greek Gods and Goddesses, The Orchard Book of Aesop's Fables, The Orchard Book of Roman Myths, The Orchard Book of Grimm's Fairy Tales and The Orchard Book of Hans Christian Andersen's Fairy Tales. Emma's lively illustrations perfectly match the magic of each of the stories which bring all the characters strikingly to life. Emma lives in London.