Sprouting Wings: The True Story of James Herman Banning, the First African American Pilot to Fly Across the United States

Louisa Jaggar has been a columnist for Washington Parent and has contributed articles to Diversion and the online site Family Travel Network. She has written for PBS and the University of Chicago, among others. She lives near Washington, D.C.

Shari Becker was born in Montreal, Quebec, and was raised speaking both English and French. She has an MA from New York University and has worked for Nickelodeon, several Disney-owned companies, and even an Emmy Award-winning puppeteer. She is the author of two picture books, including Maxwell's Mountain, a Junior Library Guild Selection and Charlotte Zolotow Honor Book. She lives in Massachusetts, with her husband, their two daughters, and their dog.

Floyd Cooper received a Coretta Scott King Award for his illustrations in The Blacker the Berry and a Coretta Scott King Honor for Brown Honey in Broomwheat Tea and I Have Heard of a Land. Born and raised in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Floyd received a degree in fine arts from the University of Oklahoma and, after graduating, worked as an artist for a major greeting card company. In 1984, he came to New York City to pursue a career as an illustrator of books, and he now lives in Easton, Pennsylvania, with his wife and children.