Sally M. Walker has been a children's book writer for over 20 years. Most of her books are nonfiction and present various science topics to young readers. Fossil Fish Found Alive is the story of the hunt for the elusive fish called the coelacanth. Sally also enjoys combining science investigation with historical topics. Her book Secrets of a Civil War Submarine, which won the 2006 Robert F. Sibert Medal, tells about the history, loss, and re-discovery of the first submarine to sink an enemy ship in battle. Written in Bone: Buried Lives of Jamestown and Colonial Maryland takes readers on archaeological expeditions, where the forensic analysis of colonial settlers' bones helps us to understand their lives. Sally especially enjoys writing narrative nonfiction that captures the reader's attention with a true story. She is also the author of 2019 Orbis Pictus Honor Book Champion: The Comeback Tale of the American Chestnut.
Elaine S. Verstraete creates art and illustration from her studio in Middlesex, New York. She received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Syracuse University and currently teaches illustration at Rochester Institute of Technology. Elaine's illustrations appear in numerous children's books, including six titles with Lerner Publishing Group. Her work also appears on Wegmans brand product labels and numerous Rochester-area festival posters, including Rochester's renowned Lilac Festvial.