Wanda Gág (1893-1946) was born in New Ulm, Minnesota, the daughter of an artist and the eldest of seven children. Wanda initiated the double-page spread, designing two facing pages as one panoramic scene. In recognition of her rare artistry, she was the posthumous recipient of the 1958 Lewis Carroll Shelf Award for Millions of Cats and the 1977 Kerlan Award for the body of her work.