About the Author

Born in 1911, Annie M.G. Schmidt wrote stories for her own amusement throughout her childhood, and worked as a librarian. By her death in 1995, she was regarded as the Queen of Dutch Children's Literature. She won numerous awards including the1989 Hans Christian Andersen Award. Astrid Lindgren presented her the award with the words: ...Annie, I love you so much, where have you been all my life?... Schmidt is now in the Canon of Dutch History taught to Dutch schoolchildren, alongside Spinoza, Anne Frank and Vincent van Gogh.