Eve Merriam was an Obie Award-winning playwright and a winner of the National Council of the Teachers of English (NCTE) Award for Excellence in Poetry for Children. During her distinguished career she authored more than fifty books including It Doesn't Always Have To Rhyme, 12 Ways to Get to 11, The Inner City Mother Goose, and Low Song. Ms. Merriam died in 1992.Ryan G. Van Cleave is the author of more than 100 books for children and adults, including fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. He earned a PhD in American literature and has taught writing for more than twenty years. As The Picture Book Doctor™, he helps creators bring kidlit projects to life on the page, stage, and screen. He believes good stories begin with curiosity. Root beer helps, too.Anna Simeone is a children’s illustrator based in Sopot, Poland. After studying Literature in Gdansk and spending ten years in Italy, she returned to her seaside hometown, where she now lives with her husband, daughter, and their dog, Leo. She has illustrated children’s books for publishers in Poland, Italy, France, and the UK, capturing joyful, heartfelt moments of everyday life. Her vibrant colour palettes are inspired by the world around her—seasonal vegetables and flowers, secondhand porcelain, and even the soft fur of her dog.