Joan Sweeney grew up in Toledo, Ohio. She used to spend Saturday mornings taking free art classes at the Toledo Museum of Art. She has three "grown-up" children and five grandchildren. She wrote many more books after she first wrote Me on the Map. Joan Sweeney died in March 2017.

Qin Leng was born in Shanghai and lived in France and Montreal, where she studied at the Mel Hoppenheim School of Cinema. She has received many awards for her animated short films and artwork, and has published numerous picture books. Qin currently lives and works as a designer and illustrator in Toronto.