Doreen Rappaport has written numerous award-winning books for children, including Freedom Ship and The School Is Not White (both illustrated by Curtis James); Martin's Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., a Caldecott Honor Book and Coretta Scott King Honor Book illustrated by Bryan Collier; and John's Secret Dreams: The Life of John Lennon, also illustrated by Bryan Collier.

Gary Kelley is well-known for both his fine art and his illustration work. He has received awards from the New York Society of Illustrators (including twenty-seven gold and silver medals), American Booksellers Association, Print magazine, Los Angeles Society of Illustrators, the Bologna Book Fair, and others. His clients include the New Yorker magazine, Rolling Stone, and many major publishers and advertising agencies. Mr. Kelley lives in Cedar Falls, Iowa.