Dia L. Michels is an award-winning internationally published science and parenting writer she is the author or editor of over a dozen books for both children and adults. Her books have been translated into Spanish Dutch Hebrew Chinese and Korean. A popular speaker she lectures frequently at conferences universities libraries and schools around the country. She teaches classes on mammal reproduction and lactation at children's and science museums around the U.S. and is a commentator for Public Radio International. Her articles have been published in People Parenting Mothering Parents Baby Talk Family Fun Nurturing and the Washington Post. She lives in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Washington DC with her husband Tony Gualtieri their three children and four cats and a dog. Andrew Barthelmes illustrator of If My Mom Were a Platypus and designer of I Was Born to Be a Brother and many other projects is a New York based illustrator and graphic designer. A graduate of The School of Visual Arts his illustrations have appeared in publications such as The New Yorker Ladies' Home Journal Street & Smith's Sports and The Wall Street Journal. In addition to the Platypus book he also illustrated Herman the Loudmouth. He has been a children's book designer for Random House Inc. and is currently creating new children's books for Reader's Digest. He lives in Peekskill NY with his wife Barbara and new baby Julia.