Shelly grew up in a tiny English village where she was surrounded by animals, the occasional pixie fairy and her best friend Cracker, a feisty palomino pony.

She was the middle child of three, but also had eleven foster siblings (not all at the same time!). Shelly studied teaching and biology at university in Birmingham and moved to Australia in 2002, where she has since married an Aussie with two beautiful kids and added another two to the brood.

She plays with words all week long and loves that she can call it 'work'.

Jedda Robaard is a Melbourne-based illustrator and graphic designer.

Jedda is the director of a successful art school for children, and continues to use her own children, chickens and guinea pigs as inspiration in her illustrations.