Biographical note

Highly-respected poet Tony Mitton has written many titles for children, including the picture books illustrated by Guy Parker-Rees: Bumpus Jumpus Dinosaurumpus!, Down by the Cool of the Pool, Spookyrumpus (winner of the Sheffield Book Prize, the Dundee Book Award and the Portsmouth Book Award) and Jolly Olly Octopus among many others. In 2014 Tony won the prestigious CLPE Poetry Award for his retelling of Wayland. Tony spends his time writing, giving poetry performances and visiting primary schools. He lives in Cambridge. Layn Marlow gained a first class degree in Illustration from Southampton Solent University, and has been writing and illustrating picture books ever since. Layn's titles have sold over a million copies worldwide and been translated into more than 20 different languages. A Very Strange Creature was shortlisted for the Red House Book Award and Hurry Up and Slow Down won the Never Too Young Coventry Inspirations Book Award in 2010. Layn lives in Hampshire with her family.