Virginia Lee Burton was born in Massachusetts, USA. She was a celebrated children’s book author and illustrator, as well as a textile designer, based in the small town of Gloucester, Massachusetts, a short drive from Boston. Her book, The Little House, published in 1942, won the Caldecott Medal, a prize awarded annually to the most distinguished American picture book. She published many other renowned picture books, including Choo Choo, Mike Mulligan and his Steam Shovel, and Katy and the Big Snow. She was also active in the textile and graphic industry. She resided with her family in the village of Folly Cove and she founded and led the craft design group, the Folly Cove Designers; this group created beautiful handcrafted textile designs.