Gary D. Schmidt is an American children's writer of nonfiction books and young adult novels, including two Newbery Honor books and one Printz Honor award.

He lives on a farm in Michigan and has six children. He is a Professor of English at Calvin College.

G. Brian Karas is the prolific, versatile, and award-winning illustrator of many books for children, including A Poem in Your Pocket, How Many Seeds in a Pumpkin?, and The Apple Orchard Riddle. He also illustrated A Hat for Mrs. Goldman by Michelle Edwards; Neville by Norton Juster; Clever Jack Takes the Cake by Candace Fleming, which received four starred reviews; Are You Going to Be Good? by Cari Best, a New York Times Best Illustrated Book; and Home on the Bayou, a Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor Book.