A Very Strange Creature

Ronda Armitage was born in New Zealand, and later moved to London with her husband and children. Her first book, The Lighthouse Keeper's Lunch, soon became a popular series of books. Ronda has gone on to write many much-loved stories for children, including A Very Strange Creature and the fabulous Small Knight and George series about a little knight and his pet dragon. Ronda lives in East Sussex with her husband, David.

Layn was born and educated in Essex, then studied BA History of Art and Architecture at Reading University, where she also met her husband, Spencer. She worked in libraries and went to live in Belgium for three years, before getting a first class degree in Illustration from Southampton. They now live in Hampshire with their children and pets. Layn is particularly inspired by the natural world, so daily walks with her little dog Rufus are essential. As a child, Layn loved drawing and adored illustrations by EH Shepherd and David McKee. She has always enjoyed making things too, so school, library and festival visits now provide the perfect excuse for her to mess about making props. She particularly likes to do a bit of knitting, when she's not practising karate.

Layn's titles have sold over a million copies worldwide and been translated into more than 20 different languages. A Very Strange Creature was shortlisted for the Red House Book Award and won the Never too Young Coventry Inspirations Book Award in 2013.