About Verna Aardema
Verna Norberg Aardema Vugteveen (1911–2000), best known by the name Verna Aardema, was an American writer of children’s books. Verna Norberg was born in New Era, Michigan. She graduated from Michigan State University with a BA of Journalism in 1934. In 1960 she published her first set of stories, Tales from the Story Hat which were very successful, and so she continued to adapt traditional tales and folklore from distant cultures, (usually from Africa and Mexico) to expose young children to the vast variety of human expression. Her book, Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People’s Ears (1975), illustrated by Leo and Diane Dillon, received the Caldecott Medal in 1976 and the Brooklyn Art Books for Children Award in 1977. Who’s in Rabbit’s House? was the 1977 School Library Journal Best Book of the Year and a Lewis Carroll Shelf Award winner in 1978. Aardema received the Children’s Reading Round Table Award in 1981, and several of her works have been selected as Notable Books by the American Library Association.
About James Earl Jones
James Earl Jones (born January 17, 1931) is an American actor. His career has spanned more than six decades, and he has been described as “one of America’s most distinguished and versatile” actors and “one of the greatest actors in American history.” Since his Broadway debut in 1957, Jones has won many awards, including a Tony Award for his role in The Great White Hope, which also earned him a Golden Globe Award and an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor in a Leading Role for the film version of the play. Jones has won three Emmy Awards, including two in the same year in 1990. He is also known for his voice roles as Darth Vader in the Star Wars film series and Mufasa in Disney’s The Lion King, as well as many other film, stage and television roles. Jones has been said to possess “one of the best-known voices in show business, a stirring basso profondo that has lent gravel and gravitas” to his projects, including live-action acting, voice acting, and commercial voice-overs.