ROSE IMPEY was born, and grew up, in Northwich, Cheshire. When she first left school she worked in a bank, but soon realised that this was not for her; so she decided to go back to school and then went on to college, where she trained to be a teacher. She later taught in a Junior school in Leicester. Rose has two grown-up daughters. While her children were small, Rose developed her interest in children's books through reviewing, bookselling, storytelling and giving talks to parents and teachers. The Impey family have a dog called Holly, which has also become a star. In 1988 Rose was short-listed for the Smarties Children's Book Prize for 'Desperate for a Dog'. Most of her stories are based on her own experiences either as a teacher or a parent. As a family they like jokes, and this often provides Rose with the ideas for her books. She spends a lot of time visiting schools to read her work. Her books are widely published worldwide, including the United States, Australia, France, Denmark, Germany and Spain. Rose enjoys eating, talking, swimming and reading, although not necessarily in that order!