Nicola Davies is an award-winning author, whose many books for children include The Promise, Ice Bear, Big Blue Whale and the Silver Street Farm series. She graduated in zoology, studied whales and bats and then worked for the BBC Natural History Unit. Underlying all Nicola's writing is the belief that a relationship with nature is essential to every human being, and that now more than ever, we need to renew that relationship. Nicola lives in Abergavenny, Wales. Mark Hearld, a breathtaking new talent in children's books, is a distinguished artist and printmaker. He studied Illustration at Glasgow School of Art and Natural History Illustration at the Royal College. He now teaches at art colleges in Hull and Edinburgh and has recently designed a range of bags and stationery for the Tate and held a solo exhibition at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park. Inspired by the natural world, especially by animals, Mark makes prints, paintings and collages, as well as textiles and ceramics. Mark lives in York.