Mairi Mackinnon has lived in England, Scotland, France, Italy and Spain, and worked as a teacher, translator and tour manager before joining Usborne. Over the years she has written and edited Usborne books in sixteen languages, from Arabic to Welsh. She lives in a house full of teenagers, books and curious musical instruments. Former senior editor at Reader's Digest, Allia Zobel Nolan is the bestselling author of over 160 books for children and adults. She lives in Connecticut with her husband, Desmond, and their two cats.