Richmal Crompton was born in Lancashire in 1890. The first story about William Brown appeared in Home magazine in 1919, and the first collection of William stories was published in book form three years later. In all, thirty-eight Just William books were published, the last, William the Lawless, in 1970 after Richmal Crompton's death.
Joe Berger is a prize-winning illustrator and animator. In 2011 he was a winner of Booktrust's Best New Illustrators Award.
In 2010 Joe was the official illustrator for World Book Day. He has also illustrated Frank Cottrell Boyce's continuation of Ian Fleming's Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang, including Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Flies Again and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Over the Moon.