Jen Arena is lucky to have been surrounded by great children’s books her whole life. As a teenager, she worked at a children’s-only independent bookstore in Pennsylvania, and after graduating from college, she made her way to New York City, where she found a job in children’s book publishing, working as an editor for Putnam, Golden Books, and Random House. She’s now a full-time author and freelance editor and has written many books for kids, including Besos for Baby, 100 Snowmen, Lady Liberty’s Holiday, Marta Big and Small, and Sleep Tight Snow White. Jen lives in Tampa, Florida.
Lori is the author of 40+ books for kids. She lives in Massachusetts with her husband, four teenage boys, and two dogs.
Born and raised in Los Angeles, Kelly Kennedy got his start in the animation business doing designs and storyboards at Nickelodeon and even created and directed an award-winning short, The Baseball Card Shop, while there. Since then he’s drawn and illustrated for a variety of children’s books and magazines and is currently working on some of his own stories. When not drawing he can be found working on his old cars or playing guitar in a bluegrass band.
Margeaux Lucas began drawing at age four and never stopped. She lives in Brooklyn, New York, where easy access to the enormous historical riches of Manhattan’s Lower East Side allowed her to truly immerse herself in her illustration research for this story.
Macky Pamintuan was born and raised in Davao, a city in the southern Philippines. As a young child, drawing was his favorite pastime and an activity that brought him delight and satisfaction. Early on, his parents discovered that giving him paper and pencil was a sure way to keep him busy, quiet, and out of trouble. He still remembers the day when he successfully drew Mickey Mouse and Superman, a huge breakthrough and a sweet triumph. He moved to San Francisco at age 21 and in 1998 enrolled in the Academy of Art College to pursue illustration. He received his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in December 2003. When not illustrating, Macky enjoys playing basketball, his other true passion.