Di Gravio, Maria Luisa: - Maria Luisa Di Gravio was born in Rome, Italy, where she still lives with her partner and their cat (who swears she never chased Tullio). She spends her days bringing stories to life through illustration, but in her free time, she is usually out exploring the world, one walk at a time. It was during a walk in the woods, looking for a squirrel, that the idea for this book was born. Why wasn't she looking for a mouse as well? They're not so different from squirrels...except for the tail. What if mice used hairpieces as faux tails? What would happen? Step by step, question after question, Tullio's tale took shape.