Anthony Browne is rightly regarded as one of the world's leading picturebook creators.  He lives in England with his wife and two children.  He has won awards in many countries, including the Kate Greenaway Medal of England for GORILLA and ZOO,  and the Kurt Maschler Award of Germany for GORILLA.  His inspiration for GORILLA came from a combination of things — a greeting card he'd designed of a huge macho gorilla holding a teddy bear, a very lonely boy he knew whose father lived in New Zealand, his own fascination with gorillas.  The behavior of a real family provided the idea for PIGGYBOOK (not his own, however!)  When the book was completed, he presented the family with a copy, without comment.  But they didn't see any relevance to themselves!