Charles Dickens was born in 1812 near Portsmouth where his father was a clerk in the navy pay office. The family moved to London in 1823, but their fortunes were severely impaired. Dickens was sent to work in a blacking-warehouse when his father was imprisoned for debt. Both experiences deeply affected the future novelist. In 1833 he began contributing stories to newspapers and magazines, and in 1836 started the serial publication of Pickwick Papers. Thereafter, Dickens published his major novels over the course of the next twenty years, from Nicholas Nickleby to Little Dorrit. Dickens died in June 1870.Maite Schmitt was born in a little town near Strasbourg in France, close to the German border. Her love of old animation movies inspired her to study illustration and animation. She has illustrated numerous books and worked on a short film, A priori, which combines two of her favorite things: books and bats. Say hello at www.maiteschmitt.com.