Anna, Banana, and the Big-Mouth Bet

Anica Mrose Rissi grew up on an island off the coast of Maine, where she read a lot of books and loved a lot of pets. After college, she moved to New York City, where she worked as a cheesemonger and book editor. She now tells and collects stories, makes up songs on her violin, and eats lots of cheese with her friends in Princeton, New Jersey, where she lives with her dog, Arugula. As a former editor turned full-time writer, Anica has spoken with kids and adults across the country about all stages of the writing process, from ideas and drafting to revisions and beyond. Anica is the author of the Anna, Banana chapter-book series, the picture books The Teacher’s Pet and Watch Out for Wolf!, and a YA novel, Always Forever Maybe. Her essays have been published by The Writer magazine and the New York Times, and she plays fiddle in and writes lyrics for the electro-country band Owen Lake and the Tragic Loves. Anica tweets about bookish things at @anicarissi, which is also her handle on Instagram. Find out more at anicarissi.com.

Meg Park is a character designer and illustrator for clients including Disney, Nickelodeon, and Paramount Pictures. Meg lives in Scotland with her two cats Louie and Boo. She loves drawing, painting, and telling stories through her artwork.