Canadian-born Karen Wallace is the author of over 70 books for children, including Emerald and the bestselling Raspberries on the Yangtze. She was born in Canada, but now lives in Herefordshire with her husband and a large cat called Cougar.

A Canadian, Karen Wallace gained a degree in English from London University. Shortly afterwards she and her husband went to Toronto and worked in the publishing business. A few years later they moved to Ireland with their two young sons, and returned to England in 1982. She now writes full-time for children and for children's television. She and illustrator