Nancy Churnin is the author of many children's books, including Martin & Anne, Sydney Taylor Notable Irving Berlin, the Immigrant Boy Who Made America Sing, and the Sydney Taylor Honor Book Dear Mr. Dickens . She is a full-time writer living in Texas. Petronela Dostalova was born in the former Czechoslovakia. She grew up in the little village of Borsa, surrounded by woods and vineyards. She lives in Suffolk, England, where she received her arts degree.