Sam Taplin grew up in a beautiful valley in Yorkshire, where he dreamed of being a writer, and after three years reading other people's books at university he started writing his own for Usborne.

He's been doing it ever since. When he's not writing about lonely rabbits or inquisitive bears, he likes doing card tricks, writing songs and playing long games of chess by the fire.

Alison Friend was on vacation one year, making jams and chutneys with her husband, when they discovered a recipe for Figgy Mustardo. The chutney was good, but Alison thought the name was better suited for a feisty little dog. That's how Figgy came to be!

Alison is also the author and illustrator of Freddy & Frito and the Clubhouse Rules, which Kirkus Reviews called "a playful, lighthearted lesson about peacekeeping and place-keeping." She lives with her family in the Lake District in England.