Jackie Endraske is a retired elementary school teacher. For many years she had wanted to write a children's book about Dudley. He had been given to her daughter Lori and later lived in Jackie's fourth grade classroom.

While there Dudley was loved by the students and was in great demand as a silent reading buddy. Jackie noticed that he was especially comforting to those children living in homes of alcoholics. The disease of alcoholism and Dudley became entwined as she started to write this story.

Jackie has a Bachelor of Science in Education from the University of Missouri and a Masters degree in Education from Kent State. She has been a member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) since 2003.

Dudley is her first children's book.