The Gray City

Torben Kuhlmann was born in Germany in 1982. Highly creative as a young child, Torben was recognized as early as kindergarten for being a gifted draftsman. He was captivated by small airplanes, strange machines, and steaming trains; these elements made their way into his drawings. He studied illustration and design at the Hamburg University for Applied Sciences. His preferred media are pen and watercolor. He also works with acrylics, oil paints, and digital programs. He works as a freelance illustrator in Hamburg. His books Lindbergh: The Tale of a Flying Mouse, Moletown, and Armstrong: The Adventurous Journey of a Mouse to the Moon quickly became best sellers and owe their inventiveness to Torben’s great enthusiasm for unusual mechanical inventions. Edison: The Mystery of the Missing Mouse Treasure, his fourth picture book for NorthSouth Books, was chosen as a 2019 Batchelder Honor.

David Henry Wilson, born in London, is a playwright, novelist, children’s book author, and translator. His plays have been produced in many well-known theaters in Great Britain as well as abroad, and his children’s books—especially the Jeremy James series—have been translated into many languages. His novel The Coachman Rat received critical acclaim on both sides of the Atlantic. For many years he lectured at the universities of Bristol (England) and Konstanz (Germany), where he founded the university theater. His translations from French and German cover many subjects, ranging from literary theory, art, travel, and general culture to children’s novels and picture books.