Iona Opie (1923–2017) dedicated her life to collecting and preserving children's rhymes as art form. In a partnership with her husband, Peter Opie, she edited many acclaimed books for children's folklore, including The Oxford Dictionary of Nursery Rhymes. Rosemary Wells is the author and illustrator of more than 60 books for young readers. She has won many awards for her work, including more than 20 ALA Notable Book citations, The New York Times Book Review Best Illustrated Book of the Year Award, and the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award. About Mother Goose, she says, "Mother Goose is a real culture. It's the real words of people who lived long ago. These rhymes are a celebration of the English language — it's our history and it's wonderful." Rosemary Wells lives in Briarcliff Manor, New York.