Margaret McNamara is the author of three other titles about Mr. Tiffin's class - A Poem in Your Pocket, called "a nimble introduction to poetry" by the New York Times; The Apple Orchard Riddle, said to "spark fruitful curriculum discussion" by School Library Journal; and How Many Seeds in a Pumpkin?, called "illuminating" by Family Fun magazine. She is also the author of The Three Little Aliens and the Big Bad Robot and George Washington's Birthday. Ms. McNamara lives in New York City.

Mike Gordon is an ever-popular and award-winning cartoonist. He has produced over 500 cards for Hallmark and over 300 picture books for various publishers. His talent has been rewarded with numerous awards inlcuding Berol cartoonist of the year (1988) and runner up for the Trento Fra realto e Follia (1990). He was also nominated for the Silver Quill Award (Germany, 1991) and for the Book and Magazine Illustrator of the Year by the National Cartoonists Society (1995).