Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni is an award-winning author of books for children and adults, a poet, an activist, and a teacher. Her work often includes themes of the Indian experience, women, immigration, history, myth, and the joys and challenges of living in a multicultural world. Her awards include, among others, an American Book Award, a PEN Josephine Miles award, a Light of India award, a SALA award, 2 Pushcart prizes, and an Allen Ginsberg poetry award. Chitra is the McDavid Professor of Creative Writing within the the nationally ranked Creative Writing program at the University of Houston, and she serves on the Advisory Board of Maitri in the San Francisco Bay Area and of Daya in Houston, two organizations that help survivors of domestic abuse and human trafficking. Grandma and the Great Gourd was her debut picture book. Chitra lives in Houston, Texas, with her husband, Murthy.

Susy Pilgrim Waters is an award-winning illustrator, painter, and designer. She has created murals for the New York City Public Library as well as other large-scale commissioned work. Originally from England, Susy lives in Boston with her husband, Keith where they design and create one-of-a-kind, handmade products for their home lifestyle company, PilgrimWaters. Grandma and the Great Gourd is Susy's first picture book.