Dick King-Smith, a former dairy farmer, is one of the world's favourite children's book authors. He was awarded the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize for The Sheep-pig (filmed as Babe), named Children's Book Author of the Year in the 1991 British Book Awards, and won the 1995 Children's Book Award for Harriet's Hare. His titles for Walker include the much-loved Sophie series, illustrated by David Parkins. Dick says of Clever Lollipop and its prequel, Lady Lollipop, "Each time I sit down to write an animal story, I say to myself, 'What sort of animal?' and I answer, 'Pig!' Then I say, 'No, no, you've just done a pig story.' So I have to wait. And I did wait. And then along came Lollipop!" Dick lives in Bristol. Jill Barton was Highly Commended for the 1993 Kate Greenaway Medal for The Pig in the Pond by Martin Waddell. Her many other titles include The Happy Hedgehog Band and Little Mo, also by Martin Waddell; What Baby Wants and The Rattletrap Car, by Phyllis Root; and four Baby Duck stories by Amy Hest. Jill lives in Devon and has three children.