Damijan Stepančič (1969) studied design at the Academy of Fine Arts and Design in Ljubljana but, realising he is better suited to a classical approach when dealing with the fundamental problems of art, he transferred to painting. He devotes most of his time to children’s and young adult illustration, and he has collaborated with newspapers and magazines for both young readers and adults. In addition to painting and illustration, he also works in comics, animation, and with puppets, as well as provides artwork for textbooks and manuals. He has illustrated or provided artwork for more than a hundred fiction books and over a hundred textbooks, co-authored numerous comic books, and held multiple solo exhibitions. Many of the books he has illustrated have received the Golden Pear Rating or Award. He has received numerous awards, including the Best Original Idea Award at the Slovenian Biennial of Illustration, the Hinko Smrekar Distinction, the Levstik Award, the Hinko Smrekar Award, and the Kristina Brenkova Award. He has been named to the IBBY Honour List, as well as nominated for the Hans Christian Andersen Award and multiple Astrid Lindgren Memorial Awards.