Rina Singh is a children’s author and poetry slam coach whose curiosity and love for storytelling shape the heart of her books. Rooted in real-life events and the untold stories they hold, her writing spans themes of environmental justice, social change, and the magic woven into everyday life. Her critically acclaimed titles include Grandmother School, winner of the Christie Harris Illustrated Children’s Literature Prize; Diwali: A Festival of Lights, nominated for the Red Cedar Award; and Once, a Bird. Her picture book Barefoot Skateboarders is based on a true story set in rural India.

ELLEN ROONEY is a children’s book illustrator whose books include the critically acclaimed Her Fearless Run and Grandmother School. Ellen lives in the southern Okanagan Valley in British Columbia, where hot, dry summers bring tourists, peaches, swims in the lake, and the threat of wildfire. The uniquely beautiful landscape inspired the setting for this book.

Kirstie Hudson is an award-winning author, editor and journalist. She was a reporter and producer with the CBC in Toronto, Vancouver, Prince Rupert and Victoria. Kirstie's work was recognized with a Jack Webster Award and Radio Television Digital News Association Awards. She co-authored two books about the making of the Witness Blanket with Indigenous artist Carey Newman. In 2020 Picking Up the Pieces was a finalist for the City of Victoria Butler Book Prize. In 2023, The Witness Blanket was the winner of the Norma Fleck Award for Canadian Children’s Nonfiction and a finalist for the TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award. She lives in Victoria, BC.