ELENA PASQUALI was brought up in South Wales and studied romance languages at University. She worked for some years in children's publishing before going on to be an author in her own right. She has a special interest in researching and retelling folk tales from around the world. In her spare time she enjoys cooking dishes from the Mediterranean to entertain family and friends Nicola Smee's illustrations have been shortlisted for the Sainsbury's Baby Book Award and nominated for the Booktrust Early Years Award.