Julia Donaldson is the author of many successful books for children, including the classic The Gruffalo, which has won the Smarties Prize and the Blue Peter Award for the Best Book to Read Aloud. The Gruffalo's Child was one of the biggest best-sellers of 2004 and won WHSmith Children's Book of the Year at the British Book Awards. Julia has also written many children's plays and songs, and runs regular storytelling and drama workshops. She lives in Glasgow with her family. Lydia Monks studied illustration at Kingston University, graduating in 1994 with a first-class degree. She is a former winner of the Smarties Bronze Award for I Wish I Were a Dog and her illustrations have been widely admired.