Samantha Bell is both the author and the illustrator of The Perfect Pet. As a teacher, Samantha was looking for a way to help her children understand animal classification. Some of the other books that she has written or illustrated include It's Birthday Time, Jake!, Shaping up the Year, As I Watch, Growing Up Dreams, Cinderfella and the Furry Godmother, One Pelican at a Time, and Sea Turtle Summer. Samantha is a member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators. A native of sunny central Florida, she grew up in an area brimming with wildlife; and now lives in the upstate of South Carolina with her husband and four children where she's found plenty of room for the family's animal friends.