Tim Hopgood was six years old when he first heard Louis Armstrong's recording of "What a Wonderful World." Years later his daughter found a recording of the song in a flea market and gave it to him as a present. As soon as he heard Louis Armstrong's gravelly voice sing the first few lines, he knew he wanted to capture the joy of the song in a picture book.

Bob Thiele (1922-1996) was a record producer and jazz radio host who worked with legendary artists such as Charles Mingus, Dizzy Gillespie, and B.B. King. His most successful song was Louis Armstrong's "What a Wonderful World."

George David Weiss (1921-2010) was a highly prolific songwriter and arranger He wrote or rewrote lyrics to such classic songs as "Lullaby of Birdland" (Ella Fitzgerald), "Can't Help Falling in Love" (Elvis Presley), and "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" (The Tokens). In 1984, Weiss was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.