Children's author, Johanna Hurwitz was born and raised in New York City. She attended Queens College where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree and then Columbia University for her master's in Library Science. She worked as a librarian and taught graduate courses in children's literature and storytelling. Her first title, Busybody Nora was published in 1976 and she has been writing a book or two a year ever since. Her other titles include Dear Emma, Summer with Elisa, A Llama in the Family, Busybody Nora and the Adventures of Ali Baba Bernstein. She has written over 60 titles. Her works have won her several state awards, including the Texas Bluebonnet Award, the Kentucky Bluegrass Award, the Garden State Children's Choice Award, and the Wyoming Indian Paintbrush Award.