This book was published 1999 by Penguin Books Australia .

Roseanne Thong lived in Hong Kong for many years. She now resides in California and is the author of Red Is a Dragon. As a child, Elisa Kleven enjoyed using her imagination to create magical worlds. This love of the fantastical greatly influences her illustration and writing. Elisa lives in Albany, California, with her husband and children. Arthur Dorros, author of many highly touted and best-selling picture books, has written his first novel. To research this book, he traveled extensively in the Balkans and lived briefly in "The Children's Village," which features prominently in the story. His previous books have been named ALA Notables, CBC-NCSS Notables, NYPL Best Books, and more. He lives in Seattle, Washington.