Hans Wilhelm was born and grew up in Bremen, Germany. Following his studies of art and business, he moved for 12 years to South Africa where he worked, painted, and was an acting member of a satirical theater group. His writing career began when he embarked on a three-year trip around the world where he lived in Bali, Spain, England and many other places. At the end of the voyage he moved to the United States, where his career as a writer and illustrator blossomed. Hans Wilhelm has written and/or illustrated over 200 books – mostly for children. They have been translated in twenty languages and have won numerous international awards and prizes. Many of them have been made into animated television series. Presently there are over thirty five million books by Hans Wilhelm in print.