Jill Tomlinson never intended to be a writer. She trained as an opera singer, and then decided to have a family whilst her voice matured. But illness intervened, and she had to find another outlet for her energies. She started on a journalism course, and by the third lesson decided she wanted to write for children. So she did! Jill Tomlinson's animal stories are much-loved and have been best-selling children's books for nearly four decades. Paul Howard is an extraordinarily talented illustrator who has illustrated many award-winning books from authors such as, Allan Ahlberg, Jeanne Willis and Michael Rosen, and has delighted children and reviewers across the world. Paul is probably best-known as the illustrator of Jill Tomlinson's animal stories which include the classic, The Owl Who Was Afraid Of The Dark. Paul now lives in Belfast with his wife, an award winning television producer, and three children. He also writes and illustrates his own stories and his authorial debut - Bugville - was published by Egmont in 2012.