About the author and illustrator...
           

Kjartan Poskitt and Philip Reeve began their collaboration in 1996 with the series of Murderous Maths books. Kjartan has written the series, Philip has illustrated all the covers and most of the insides. Philip also illustrated Kjartan's "Isaac Newton and his Apple". Since The Magic of Pants and A Brief History of Pants, they have produced Urgum The Axeman

Kjartan self- 
portrait in oils 
on canvass. Good
painter, isn't he? Kjartan Poskitt got an engineering degree, and since then he has written and presented for both kids and schools telly, been Widow Twankey, and played lots of pub pianos very loudly. As well as books, he's written lots of stage musicals, he invents games and puzzles and does music for stage and tv on his lethal array of old synthesisers. Currently he tours the country doing maths talks but his main claim to fame is that he is probably the scruffiest bloke in Yorkshire despite the efforts of his very understanding wife and kids. If you're desperate to know more about him or his other books, his music or shows, try: Kjartan's website Philip by Philip Philip Reeve has been earning a living as a cartoonist since 1994 and has illustrated over forty books. His rubbish jokes have been translated into French, German, Polish, Dutch, Korean and something that looks like Martian but is probably Latvian. He lives with his wife Sarah and his young son in a small village on Dartmoor where he spends his time drawing, walking, writing and looking a bit gloomy. As well as the cartoons he has co-written a musical "The Ministry of Biscuits". His first novel "Mortal Engines" was published in 2001 and won several prizes, since then he has been working on the sequels. You can find more about him at Philip's website
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