A Canadian, Karen Wallace gained a degree in English from London University. Shortly afterwards she and her husband went to Toronto and worked in the publishing business. A few years later they moved to Ireland with their two young sons, and returned to England in 1982.

She now writes full-time for children and for children's television. She and illustrator Mike Bostock won the TES Information Book Award for Think of an Eel (Walker Books).

Her novel Raspberries on the Yangtse was short-listed for the Guardian Award. She is married to novelist Sam Llewellyn.

Beccy is a children's illustrator and artist, with a love of all things slightly bonkers which invariably end up in her pictures and paintings. She loves observing life and all the silly side it brings, her illustrations make her young audience smile when they're reading a book and add to the story within.

Since leaving art college in Newcastle upon Tyne she has worked extensively in the world of childrens publishing, design and advertising, editorial, greetings cards and one off mural and art commissions, both here in the UK and overseas. She works mainly in pencil, acrylics, watercolour, pen and ink and digital media often combining all.

She recently decorated an "Owl of Bath", Mowlberry Beak, which is currently situated in Combe Down, Bath and is working on painting a lion for The Cinnamon Cafe in Windsor, part of the Lions of Windsor trail.

She is currently based in Bath with her partner, also an illustrator, 2 kids, a cat called Elsie (who has her own comic illustrated for her), and a pond full of newts and frogs.