Deirdre Baker has taught children's literature throughout Canada and the U.S. and currently teaches in the English department at the University of Toronto. She is the co-author (with Ken Setterington) of A Guide to Canadian Children's Books as well as Follow That Broomstick: A Guide to the Best Fantasy Literature for Young Readers (co-authored with Michele Landsberg). Deirdre lives in Toronto, Ontario, but spends her summers on Hornby Island, the setting for Becca at Sea.