Martin Waddell is widely regarded as one of the finest contemporary writers of books for young people. Twice winner of the Smarties Book Prize - for Farmer Duck and Can't You Sleep, Little Bear? - he also won the Kurt Maschler Award for The Park in the Dark and the Best Books for Babies Award for Rosie's Babies. Among his many titles for older readers are the novels Tango's Baby, The Life and Loves of Zoe T. Curley, The Kidnapping of Suzie Q, The Beat of the Drum, Frankie's Story and Starry Night, winner of the 1986 Other Award. Christian Birmingham is considered one of the best young illustrators working today. After receiving a degree in Illustration from the Exeter College of Art he has gone on to illustrate many books for children such as The Magical Bicycle by Berlie Doherty, shortlisted for the Kurt Maschler Award; The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis, shortlisted for the Kate Greenaway Medal and Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. Christian has also illustrated several titles by Michael Morpurgo, including The Butterfly Lion, a Smarties Book Prize-Winner; The Wreck of the Zanzibar, named the Whithbread Children's Book of the Year in 1995, and Wombat Goes Walkabout, shortlisted for the Kate Greenaway Medal. Christian Birmingham lives in London.
