Janet Halfmann (pronounced Howlf-mun) is the award-winning author of more than thirty fiction and nonfiction children’s books, including Home in the Cave, Fur and Feathers, and Little Skink’s Tail for Sylvan Dell. Other recent titles include Eggs: 1, 2, 3; Star of the Sea: A Day in the Life of a Starfish; Good Night, Little Sea Otter; Garter Snake at Willow Creek Lane; and Seven Miles to Freedom: The Robert Smalls Story. Janet is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. Before becoming a children’s author, Janet was a daily newspaper reporter, children’s magazine editor, and a creator of coloring and activity books for Golden Books. She is the mother of four and the grandmother of four. When Janet isn’t writing, she enjoys gardening, exploring nature, visiting living-history museums, and spending time with her family. She grew up on a farm in Michigan and now lives in South Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Laurie Allen Klein has been a freelance artist for nearly 25 years. Over the lastseveral years, she has worked as the on-staff artist for a marine park, where she does everything from painting life-size sea animal murals, to illustrating children's activity books. As evident by the extras included in the art, she has combined her love and fascination with outer space (and science fiction) with children’s illustration in both Solar System Forecast and Meet the Planets. Laurie also illustrated Fur and Feathers, Where Should Turtle Be?, Little Skink's Tail, and If a Dolphin Were a Fish for Sylvan Dell.