Johnny Gruelle was an extremely talented cartoonist, illustrator, and storyteller. He had already written and illustrated a book of original fairy tales before creating the Raggedy Ann and Andy stories. Raggedy Ann, heroine of the first book, was a favorite doll of his daughter, Marcella, who died after a long illness at the age of thirteen. Johnny Gruelle eventually created over forty Raggedy Ann and Andy books, all capturing his unique version of childhood. Jan Palmer has illustrated many children's stories and nearly twenty books. She was born and raised in Saint John, New Brunswick, in Canada. She enjoys whitewater canoeing and gardening. She lives in an old farmhouse in upstate New York.