Kelly Starling Lyons (kellystarlinglyons.com) is the author of the picture books
Hope's Gift;
Tea Cakes for Tosh; and
Ellen's Broom, as well as the Jada Jones chapter book series. Her articles and essays have appeared in many publications, including
Ebony magazine, the
News & Observer, the
Christian Science Monitor, and books in the Chicken Soup for the Soul series. She lives in North Carolina.
Vanessa Brantley Newton is a self-taught artist with a great passion for children's books and fashion illustration. As an illustrator, she includes children of all ethnic backgrounds in her artwork so that every child sees their unique experience reflected in the stories they read. She celebrates self-love and acceptance of all cultures through her work, and hopes to inspire young readers to find their own voices. Vanessa has illustrated over 30 books, and has written and illustrated the picture books
Let Freedom Sing and
Don't Let Auntie Mabel Bless The Table. She lives in Charlotte, North Carolina with her husband and daughter, and a crazy cat named Stripes.