Madeleine Dunphy is an educational consultant who teaches children about endangered environments. She has studied and visited many of the world's ecosystems, and was inspired to write books about our world's great diversity of life. She lives in Oakland, California with her husband, Chris, and their daughter, Gwendolyn. For more information about Madeleine, her books, and her school presentations visit www.mdunphy.com. Kristin Kest grew up in a large family of artists and scientists. Not surprisingly, she developed a love for nature through drawing and painting. To her mother's amusement, she often returned from her daily bike rides with everything from pinecones and shells to bugs and dead birds. Kristin has illustrated more than twenty children's books having to do with natural science. She lives in Dillsburg, Pennsylvania with her life partner, Sandy, and their cats, Romeo, Oscar and Jack. For more information about Kristin and her books, visit www.kestillustration.com.