Kazuo Iwamura was born in Tokyo. He is one of the most famous picture book artists in Japan. His work has won many awards. He lives in Tochigi, where he founded the Museum for Picture Book Illustrations. It stands on a hill named Ehon-no-Oka, which means Picture Book Hill.

Haruo Yamashita graduated from Kyoto University with a major in French literature. Born in Tokyo, he spent much of his childhood by the ocean. He now lives in Atami, a beautiful seaside city, where he loves to sail his boat in the harbor. He is known in Japan as the “author who lives by and loves the ocean.”