Ruth Symons (Author) Ruth Symons is the author of several children's books, including A Year in the Wild, Christmas Lights, the Paper World series and the Sophie la girafe board books. When she's not writing and editing, Ruth loves gardening, hiking and hosting elaborate teddy bear tea parties with her young daughter. Sebastien Braun (Illustrator) Sebastien Braun was born in Strasbourg, France, the hometown of Gustav Dore and Tomi Ungerer (his heroes). As a child he spent countless hours drawing, and at secondary school he filled his homework with doodles and portraits of his teachers. After University, he spent a few years teaching art, before taking the plunge as a freelance illustrator. He is the illustrator of Spinderella by Julia Donaldson and Kicking a Ball by Allan Ahlberg amongst many others. Apart from creating pictures, Seb's favourite pastimes are making toys from wood, playing with his children and climbing the Cotswold hills on his vintage road bike.