Anja

Beth Mills had a very boring job that didn’t involve any art before she decided she’d much rather draw and write things for kids. Beth studied illustration at the Academy of Art University, where she learned how much she loves creating characters and giving them interesting stories. Beth also likes bright colors, fun shapes, and…

Simone Shin is an award-winning editorial and children’s book illustrator based in California’s Bay Area. She has illustrated numerous children’s books since 2011, and her work can also be seen in magazines and newspapers.

Author of the art appreciation series, Bob Raczka’s Art Adventures, Bob Raczka studied both art and advertising in college. He has worked as an advertising writer for 30+ years, and has published more than 30 children’s books. His work has received multiple awards including the Claudia Lewis Award for his first poetry book, Guyku: A…

Jaime Kim was born South Korea and moved to the US when she was eighteen. Her favorite things are the sun, moon, and stars—which is why they always creep into her artwork. She lives in North Carolina.

Violeta Dabija lives in Moldova, a small Eastern European country. She has a strong traditional art background, a BA degree in Fine Arts/Graphic Design and 10 years of experience as a children’s book illustrator. She works in both traditional and digital media and often mixes them to produce delicate and atmospheric illustrations with a traditional…

Laura Purdie Salas is the author of more than 135 books for kids, including If You Were the Moon, Lion of the Sky, theCan Be… series, and Bookspeak! Poems about Books. Poetry and rhyming nonfiction books are her favorite things to write. Laura loves to do author visits, writing workshops, and teacher inservices. Read more…

Barry Gott lives in Ohio and has illustrated many children’s books, including all of the Dino-Sports and Dino-Holidays books.  

Lisa Wheeler is the award-winning author of the Dino-Sports and Dino-Holidays books. When she isn’t running around the country visiting schools, standing at podiums, and eating airport snacks, she resides in Michigan.  

Shafaq Khan is a middle grade author, lawyer, and mom. Born to Pakistani parents, Shafaq grew up in a small port city along the Persian Gulf called Jubail Industrial City; a city that barely makes it on most maps but would shape her worldview and forever cement her identity as a third culture kid. It…