Petr Horá cek was born in Prague and studied at the Academy of Fine Art. After graduating in 1994, he moved to England. His first two picture books were published in 2001, winning the ' Books for Children' Newcomer award. Since then he has gained a string of international distinctions. His books for Otter-Barry include The Last Tiger, The Perfect Present, shortlisted for the BookTrust Storytime Prize 2024, and The Star Whale with Nicola Davies. He lives in Worcester, UK.