This is a reference book. This book was published by Kingfisher .

John Howe is a renowned fantasy artist and is best known for his work based on J. R. R. Tolkien's worlds. He worked alongside Alan Lee as a concept artist on Peter Jackson's film trilogy, The Lord of the Rings. Richard Hook is vastly experienced and is renowned for his detailed research. He has illustrated hundreds of children's history books. Jonathon Stroud began to write stories at a very young age. Between the ages seven and nine he was often ill, so to escape boredom, he would occupy himself with books and stories. After he completed his studies of English Literature at the University of York, he worked in London as an editor for Walker Books. During the 1990s, he started publishing his own works and quickly gained success, most notably with the Bartimaeus Chronicles which have won numerous awards and been translated into numerous languages. Judy Allen is an award-winning author who has written successfully for both children and adults. Her novels for young people include "Something Rare and Special", "Travelling Hopefully" and "Awaiting Developments". Judy lives in London.