Richard Haynes (1952-2024) grew up on a farm in Pennsylvania, one of nine children. Every day of his boyhood was filled with adventure, much of it in the great outdoors. He was the author of Elephant Bowling and Other Animal Play and its companion book, Orangutan Hats and Other Tools Animals Use, both illustrated by Stephanie Laberis. In a starred review of Orangutan Hats, Kirkus Reviews predicted that readers would "devour this dynamic and informative explanation of the inventiveness to be found within the animal world." Richard Haynes was also the author of the early chapter book Slingshot and Burp, illustrated by Stephen Gilpin, which Publishers Weekly described as "a boisterous tale that speaks to long summer days of (mostly) unfettered freedom."

Stephanie Laberis is a character designer and illustrator who specializes in creating art for animation and children's publications. She is the illustrator of Richard Haynes's Orangutan Hats and Other Tools Animals Use as well as Prudence the Part-Time Cow by Jody Jensen Shaffer, the Grumpy Cat books, and many other Little Golden Books. Stephanie Laberis lives in the San Francisco Bay Area.