Wallace Whitney Tripp was born in Boston, Massachusetts on June 26, 1940. He studied graphic arts at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts. He received a bachelor's degree in education from Keene State College and studied English at the University of New Hampshire. He taught English for three years before becoming a full-time illustrator. He was best known for his greeting cards and children's book illustrations. He created over 600 greeting cards for Pawprints Greeting Cards. He illustrated over 40 other books including Stand Back, Said the Elephant, I'm Going to Sneeze!; A Great Big Ugly Man Came Up and Tied His Horse to Me; and Sir Toby Jingle's Beastly Journey. He also worked on the Amelia Bedelia series. He wrote and illustrated Wallace Tripp's Wurst Seller. He died after a long fight with Parkinson's disease on September 9, 2018 at the age of 78.