Walt Whippo and Bernard Zaritzky wrote the lyrics and music for Little White Duck in 1950, and children have been singing it ever since. It has been recorded by many popular performers, including Danny Kaye, Burl Ives, and Raffi. Joan Paley is a graphic designer and has illustrated many well-received picture books. She studied at the Massachusetts College of Art and the Haystack Mountain School of Crafts in Deer Isle, Maine.