Praise for Michael Morpurgo: "Michael Morpurgo writes brilliantly about war and animals, conveying the big emotions without preaching." - The Guardian "Champagne quality over a wide range of subjects." - Daily Telegraph "There are few children's writers as compelling as Michael Morpurgo." - Daily Express "Morpurgo's gift is to make this long-ago world of danger and heartbreak accessible without ever patronising his young readers." - Sunday Mercury "Morpurgo, as always, is subtle and skillful, and incorporates social and moral issues into his writing without being self-righteous or detracting from the quality of the narrative" Elizabeth Reilly - British Council "The former children's laureate has the happy knack of speaking to both child and adult readers." -The Guardian.

Michael Morpurgo OBE is one of Britain's best-loved writers for children. He has written over 100 books and won many prizes, including the Smarties Prize, the Blue Peter Book Award and the Whitbread Award. His recent bestselling novels include Shadow, An Elephant in the Garden and Born to Run. Michael's stories have been adapted numerous times for stage and screen, most recently with the phenomenally successful National Theatre production of War Horse, which is also currently playing on Broadway. The story is now the subject of a major forthcoming film directed by Steven Spielberg. Michael was the UK's Children's Laureate from 2003 to 2005, a role which took him all over the country to inspire children with the joy of reading stories. Loretta Schauer has always had a passion for drawing and creativity, and honed her illustration skills through evening classes. In addition to her illustration, she works for Heath Hands, a charity dedicated to conservation and horticulture. Loretta lives in Highgate, North London with her husband Peter and their hamster, Eduardo. Beauty and the Beast is Loretta's first picture book.