Ashley Spires grew up in Tsawwassen, British Columbia, with her parents, her sister, a dog, eight cats and the occasional newt. As a child she was constantly making drawings, stories and small polymer clay figures, to say nothing of her cross-stitching prowess. Despite being told she wasn’t the best drawer, she set out from Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design to become a children’s book illustrator. Now, some twenty years later, she is known for creating many quirky beloved characters, including Small Saul, 2016’s TD Grade One Book Giveaway, Larf and Binky the Space Cat, who is now featured on his own animated television series. Ashley’s bestselling book The Most Magnificent Thing has been translated into nineteen languages worldwide and was recently adapted into a short animated film. She strives to make books that reflect her own struggles with making mistakes and how to learn from them. During the rare moments when she is not creating, she fosters orphaned kittens for her local animal shelter. She resides in Ladner, British Columbia, with her dog and many, many cats.
Zoey Abbott
Zoey Abbott is the author-illustrator of I Do Not Like Yolanda and Pig and Horse and the Something Scary. She lives in Portland, Oregon, with her family.
Jonathan Roth
Author-illustrator Jonathan Roth has been fascinated with robotic space missions since the Viking landers sent back the first images from the surface of Mars. Jonathan, who teaches elementary art, lives in Rockville, Maryland, with his wife and two kitties in a house on a rocky planet orbiting a fiery star in a barred spiral galaxy. He is also the author of the Beep and Bob series.
Colleen Larmour
Colleen Larmour is a children’s book illustrator and author based in Northern Ireland. She studied on the Cambridge Art School master’s course in children’s book illustration and has illustrated several books, including Let’s Play: A Book About Making Friends. She lives with her husband and two daughters in County Antrim.
Gokce Irten
Gökçe İrten is a children’s book author and illustrator. She lives in Istanbul, Turkey.