Gato Guapo

Anika Aldamuy Denise, is the celebrated author of many picture books, including Planting Stories: The Life of Librarian and Storyteller Pura Belpré; Starring Carmen!; Lights, Camera, Carmen!; and Monster Trucks. A tradition she began with her oldest daughter–of leaving short poems and love notes for each other to find–inspired her book The Love Letter. She lives in Rhode Island with her husband, three children, and a very lovey kitty named Charlie. Visit Anika online at www.anikadenise.com.

Zara González Hoang grew up in a little bungalow in the great white North. Surrounded by snow she spent her days dreaming, doodling and listening to the colorful stories of her Dad’s life growing up in Puerto Rico while trying to figure out where she fit in as a mixed-race Latina Jew in a sea of Scandinavians. (She’s still figuring that out.) These days, she lives outside of DC in a magical suburban forest with her Mad Man husband, human-shaped demon and curly coated corgi. She still spends her days dreaming and doodling, but now instead of listening to stories, she’s starting to tell some of her own. Her first picture book, Thread of Love written by Kabir and Surishtha Sehgal was published in 2018 by Beach Lane Books / Simon and Schuster. Her Author/Illustrator debut, Piece of Wild will be published by Dial Books/Penguin Randomhouse in the Spring of 2020.