Ellen Raskin was born and raised in Milwaukee and educated at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, where she majored in art. In 1966 she gave up a successful career as a freelance artist to write and illustrate children’s books. 

She was the author of several other novels, including Newbery Honor-winning Figgs & Phantoms, The Mysterious Disappearance of Leon (I Mean Noel), and The Tattooed Potato and Other Clues. She was awarded the Newbery Medal in 1979 for The Westing Game. She also wrote and illustrated many picture books and was an accomplished graphic artist. She designed dust jackets for dozens of books, including the first edition of Madeleine L’Engle’s classic A Wrinkle In Time. Ms. Raskin died at the age of fifty-six on August 8, 1984, in New York City. 

Her books are wildly imaginative, but nonetheless touch on the autobiographical. Although Ellen Raskin was never rich, she always had hope – if only the stock market had played the game.

Mac Barnett is a New York Times bestselling author of more than forty books for children, including the Jack early reader series and the Terrible Two middle-grade series and several beloved picture books, including: Extra Yarn and Sam & Dave Dig a Hole. His picture books have won many prizes, including two Caldecott Honors, three E. B. White Read Aloud Awards, the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award, the Chen Bochui International Children’s Literature in Award in China, and the Premio Orbil in Italy. Mac lives in Oakland, California.