Donna Jo Napoli is both a linguist and a writer of children's and young adult fiction. Her most recent work is the picture book Words to Make a Friend, and some of her stories for young adults include Stones in Water, Treasury of Greek Mythology, Treasury of Norse Mythology, and Daughter of Venice. She has five children and eight grandchildren. She dreams of moving to the woods and becoming a naturalist. She loves to garden, bake bread, dance, and make pottery.

Felicita Sala is a self-taught illustrator. She has created pictures for several books, among them Be a Tree! by Maria Gianferrari, Joan Procter, Dragon Doctor by Patricia Valdez, and She Made a Monster by Lynn Fulton, which was selected among the best illustrated books by the New York Times. In 2020, she was awarded the Premio Andersen as the best illustrator in Italy. She grew up in Australia, next to the ocean, and now lives in Rome, Italy, with her family. She loves insect documentaries and drawing animals, especially made up ones.