Donn Kushner was born in Louisiana in 1927 and moved to Canada in 1948. He was a microbiologist and Professor Emeritus at the Universities of Ottawa and Toronto. Donn Kushner also wrote a number of very successful children's books including A Book Dragon, which was shortlisted for a Governor General’s Award. His other passion was playing violin and viola in chamber groups. Donn Kushner passed away in September 2001.