MUNRO LEAF (1905-1976) was an American writer, illustrator, and columnist whose books for children include
Manners Can Be Fun and
How to Behave and Why (both of which he also illustrated)
. In 1936 he "dashed off in 25 minutes" a story about a bull who preferred flowers to bullfights as a showcase for the artistic talent of his friend Robert Lawson.
The Story of Ferdinand went on to become a best-seller and the two men collaborated on three subsequent books,
Wee Gillis (1938),
The Story of Simpson and Sampson (1941), and
Aesop's Fables (1941).
ROBERT LAWSON
(1892-1957) was a prolific writer and illustrator of literature for children and was the first person ever to receive both the Newbery and Caldecott medals. Among his forty-odd books are such classic stories as
Rabbit Hill,
Ben and Me,
and
They Were Strong and Good.