Award-winning author and illustrator Catherine Rayner studied illustration at Edinburgh College of Art and mentored Naomi Howarth. She fell in love with the city and still lives there with her husband, young son and a handful of creatures: Shannon the horse, Ena the grey cat and a goldfish called Richard. She finds huge inspiration in her pets and often uses them as models, frequently asking Ena to pose so that she can study her posture and movement.