Sally Prue isn't sure where she was born, but from the time she was adopted as a baby she was brought up in Hertfordshire, where she still lives. When her daughters were small, Sally taught recorder and piano whilst also writing children's fiction, and is the winner of the Branford Boase Award and the Smarties Prize Silver Award for her bestselling novel Cold Tom. Sally has a set of Northumbrian bagpipes that she doesn't play very often, which is probably a good thing! Brendan Kearney is an illustrator specialising in children's books and artwork. He originally studied architecture at university before realising he didn't like rulers. Having thrown away his ruler and tape measure, Brendan started doodling and now brings his own chaotic style and ideas to any project.