Jane Dyer, of Northampton, Massachusetts, has illustrated more than fifty books. In 1983, Jane Yolen encouraged Dyer to show her work in New York, and her first book, Goldilocks and the Three Bears, was published in 1984. Some of her well-known books are Sophie's Masterpiece by Eileen Spinelli, the New York Times-bestselling series Cookies by Amy Krouse Rosenthal, and Time for Bed by Mem Fox. She also illustrated the poetry anthology Talking Like The Rain and I Love You Like Crazy Cakes by Rose A. Lewis. This year, she illustrated Lucky and Squash by Jeanne Birdsall. She also illustrated A Woman for President: The Story of Victoria Woodhull by Kathleen Krull.

Will Hillenbrand, who lives in Terrace Park, Ohio, has also created over fifty books. He writes and illustrates his own books and also illustrates books written by others. Some of his well-known and loved books are Spring Is Here!, Down on the Farm, 'Twas the Fright Before Christmas, Look Out Jack! The Giant is Back!, Counting Crocodiles, and The Golden Sandal: A Middle Eastern Cinderella Story. His two most recent books, published in 2012, are Bear in Love and Kite Day. He has won two International Reading Association Children's Choice Awards for The House That Drac Built and Sam Sunday and the Mystery at the Ocean Beach Hotel.

Boris Kulikov graduated from The Institute of Theatre, Music and Cinema in St. Petersburg, Russia in 1992. He immigrated to the United States in 1997 and lives in Brooklyn. His first children's book illustration was for Lore Segal's Morris the Artist. He and Kate Banks have collaborated on four books: Max's Words, Max's Dragon, The Eraserheads, and Max's Castle. He has illustrated a number of biographies written by Kathleen Krull. The Perfect Friend was a collaboration with his wife, writer Yelena Romanova. His most recent book is Barnum's Bones: How Barnum Brown Discovered the Most Famous Dinosaur in the World by Tracey Fern.

Kathleen Krull, who lives in San Diego, has written more than 60 books. In 2011 she won the Children's Book Guild of Washington, D.C. Nonfiction Award, presented to "an author or illustrator whose total body of work has contributed significantly to the quality of nonfiction for children." She is known for biographies. She has created a number of the Lives of the … books. Other well-known titles include Wilma Unlimited: How Wilma Rudolph Became the World's Fastest Woman, Harvesting Hope: The Story of Cesar Chavez, The Boy on Fairfield Street: How Ted Geisel Grew Up to Become Dr. Seuss, Houdini: World's Greatest Mystery Man and Escape King, and Big Wig: A Little History of Hair.

Jim Murphy, of New Jersey, is the author of more than 30 books about American history. He received Newbery Honor Awards for The Great Fire and An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793. He was a recipient of the Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medal for An American Plague. Jim is also the recipient of the 2010 Margaret A. Edwards Award "honoring his significant and lasting contribution to young adult literature." The Great Fire covers the fire that destroyed much of Chicago in 1871. Blizzard! presents the 1888 storm and its devastating effects. Jim is also the author of the picture book Fergus and the Night-Demon. The Giant and How He Humbugged America is being published October 1, 2012.