Wendy Henrichs was inspired to write I Am Tama, Lucky Cat when she adopted two cats. One of them had a habit of raising her paw while sitting, just like a Japanese Lucky Cat figurine. Curiosity about the legends behind Lucky Cat led her to the story of Tama. She grew up in Illinois and lives in Iowa.
Yoshiko Jaeggi was born in Kagoshima, Japan, which is famous for its volcano. She drew her first picture in the ashes that rained from the sky. Yoshiko was trained at the Osaka Municipal Institute of Fine Art and has illustrated several picture books. She lives in Maryland.