Henry David Thoreau was born in Concord, Massachusetts, in 1817. For the remaining 45 years of his life, he never strayed far from there for long, even attending college at nearby Harvard. Along with Ralph Waldo Emerson, he was a leading figure in the American Transcendentalist movement, which taught that nature and people are good at the core and that it is up to individuals to empower their lives.

Giovanni Manna was born in Florence, Italy, and has made illustrations for more than 80 books for children since 1995. His work has been featured in exhibitions throughout Italy and internationally, from Bratislava to Britain. He was awarded the Andersen Prize for best Italian illustrator in 2003. This is his second book for Creative Editions.