Aimee McNaughton grew up in Wellington in a house full of books. In 2009 she gained an honours degree in English literature from Victoria University, focusing on children's and YA fiction. Aimee now lives in Tauranga and teaches English at Otumoetai College, where she also coaches the debating team and runs a creative writing group. She loves to travel, is a voracious reader, writes whenever she has a spare moment and is very competitive about her cake baking skills. Dominique Ford is an artist and illustrator living in rural Tauranga with her husband Andrew and teenage children. Dominique started out in graphic design but has now illustrated three picture books, including Moonrabbit (Penguin) and this year's The Song of Kauri. As well as drawing, Dominique knits, crochets, sews, makes jewellery and collects cats.