Gertrude Crampton wrote the classic Little Golden Books Tootle (published in 1945) and Scuffy the Tugboat (published in 1946), which are two of the bestselling English-language hardcover children's books of all time. They have never been out of print. Crampton was born in New York in 1909, and received her teaching credentials from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. She passed away in 1996.

Tibor Gergely, who was born in Hungary in 1900 and emigrated to the US in 1939, was one of the most prolific of the early Little Golden Books illustrators. He brought to life many classic and beloved LGB characters including Tootle, the Little Red Caboose, and Scuffy the Tugboat. He died in 1978.