Larry Bennett and his wife Dorothy adopted a baby from China in 2004, Olivia Cai Hua. With the help of her Chinese babysitter, she was raised bilingually, maintaining ties with the culture of her birth country. The books in the Ru-lan series stemmed from stories that Laurence would tell Cai Hua when she was young. Basia Tov has been making art, one way or another, throughout her life. Her interest in illustrating and writing children's books has developed from the time her son and daughter were born. Besides her Fine Art degree, Basia holds a Master's in Early Childhood Special and General Education. Currently, she lives in New York City, where she teaches in an elementary school, pursues her art career, creates children's books, and spends every spare minute with her family.