When Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm set out to collect stories in the early 1800s, their goal was not to entertain children but to preserve Germanic folklore and the hard life of European peasants was reflected in the tales they discovered.

However, once the brothers saw how the stories entranced young readers, they began softening some of the harsher aspects to make them more suitable for children.

Quentin Greban was born in Belguim, where he still lives today. He studied illustration at the Saint Luc Institute in Brussels. Since 1999, Greban has published more than 15 children's books in several French, Belguim, German, and Greek publishing houses. His books are translated in many countries. He received the Saint-Exupery award in 2000 for Les contes de l'Alphabet.