Edward Lear was born in Highgate, London, England, in 1812. In 1846 he published his first book of verse, A Book of Nonsense, illustrated with his own drawings, under the pseudonym Derry Down Derry. The poems became wildly popular, and he went on to publish (using his real name) many more, including the much loved The Owl and the Pussy-cat. In the years since Mr. Lear’s death in 1888, his ingeniously silly verse has been illustrated by generations of artists and enjoyed by legions of fans.

Fred Marcellino, the renowned and beloved artist and illustrator, won a Caldecott Honor for his first full-color picture book, Puss in Boots. He began his career in children’s literature with Tor Seidler’s A Rat’s Tale in 1985, and followed with many other classics such as I, Crocodile and The Steadfast Tin Soldier.