Winner of the Whitbread Award in 1974 and included in the Hans Christian Anderson Honour List.

'The partnership between author and illustrator is almost perfect, their resourcefulness in making such absurdity so natural almost the equal of the boy Tom in his creation of the two-seater, jam-powered frog.' The Times

Born in Pennsylvania in 1925 to Ukrainian immigrant parents, Russell Hoban's interest in writing started early, with his stories and poetry winning him prizes while still at school. During the war he served in the US Infantry. Following his discharge from the army he held a variety of jobs, including work as a freelance illustrator and a copy-writer. It was during this time that he started writing, taking it up as a full-time occupation in 1967. His first full-length novel, The Mouse and His Child was published in 1968, and is widely regarded as a children's classic. In addition to his acclaimed children's books, Hoban writes for adults, his most recent book being Amaryllis Night and Day. He has lived in London since 1969 when he came over to England, supposedly for two years. Born in 1932, Quentin Blake has been drawing ever since he can remember and has always made his living as an illustrator, although he has also taught, and for ten years was Head of the Illustration Department at the Royal College of Art. In addition to his own books, he is the major illustrator of Roald Dahl and has also collaborated with other well-known authors such as Russell Hoban and Joan Aiken. Winner of numerous awards, including the Kate Greenaway, the Kurt Maschler and the Smarties awards, Quentin Blake has recently completed a successful two-year tenure as the first Children's Laureate.