Ludwig Bemelmans was an essayist, humorist, novelist, artist and an author. He was born in the Austrian Tyrol and moved to the US in 1914. Never intending to be a writer, he was a restaurateur and artist before penning any books. In 1934, at the suggestion of children's book editor May Massee, Bemelmans wrote his first book, Hansi. Hansi. But it was Madeline that brought him his greatest success. From the time of his marriage to Madeline Freund in 1935 (Madeline was based on their only daughter) until his death in 1962, Bemelmans wrote approximately one or two books a year.