Mairi Mackinnon (Author) Mairi Mackinnon has lived in England, Scotland, France, Italy and Spain, and worked as a teacher, translator and tour manager before joining Usborne. Over the years she has written and edited Usborne books in sixteen languages, from Arabic to Welsh. She lives in a house full of tall teenagers, hundreds of books and strange musical instruments, from violas to didgeridoos.Victoria Williams (Author) Victoria (Vicky to almost everyone) has degrees in Evolutionary Biology and Science Communication, and loves writing about the weird and wonderful world. When she's not writing or reading, you'll probably find her walking, dancing, gaming, watching wildlife or baking a cake.

Parents will value its educational benefits in literacy and numeracy, and children will relish cracking codes and stretching their thinking skills in engaging, hands-on ways.