Annie Barrows started writing books when she was nine, but they never turned out the way she wanted, so she gave up on writing for twenty-five years. She's written a bunch of books for grown-ups, but Ivy and Bean is her first book for kids. Annie lives in Northern California with her husband and two daughters. One daughter is like Ivy and the other is like Bean. They both make a lot of potions. Sophie Blackall is an Australian illustrator whose work has appeared in many newspapers and magazines, including the New York Times. She lives in Brooklyn, New York, with her husband and two delightful, spying, scheming, spell-casting children. Her previous books include Ruby's Wish and Meet Wild Boars.