Before entering art college where he specialized in graphics, Simon James held many different jobs, ranging from policeman to farm worker. He lives in Devon, England, now and has been adopted as artist in residence by a local school, where he teaches children, as he puts it, "how to have fun making a mess and expressing something at the same time." His previous book, Sally and the Limpet, features an endearing little girl who learns a subtle lesson about nature and the environment.