Jan Waldron is also the author of John Pig's Halloween and two books for adults. She says she was inspired by a drawing on a Christmas card of David McPhail's and by fond memories of "holidays my mother gave us. Our kitchen turned into a vivid explosion of colors, smells, and tastes - a tradition I hope I have passed to my children."
David McPhail is an author-illustrator beloved for his many books about wonderful characters, some of whom have been pigs. He says that for a Christmas card one year he drew "a little pig with wings and and oversize gown. Someone told me to write about her. I tried but I couldn't. I lamented that fact to Jan. A few days later she said, 'How's this sound?' And that was the beginning of Angel Pig and the Hidden Christmas. In my pictures for this book, I've worked very hard to give Angel Pig the life she deserves."