Mandy Stanley illustrated both the I Can Count and I Can Spell series and and the award-winning First Number Book and First Word Book, which were both Smithsonian magazine Notable Books for Children. She trained at Great Yarmouth College of Art and Design and Nottingham Polytechnic, where she gained a degree in fashion. She worked in children's wear for three years - since then, among other things, she has produced nursery sets for Mothercare, an award-winning range of toys for Boots and a range of books and other resources based on the 'Babe' character.