Laura Bloom grew up in Sydney, reading constantly and dreaming of becoming a writer. Now she lives in a small country town with her family and lots of animals, writing novels for children and adults. Her books have been short-listed for awards and sold in many countries. Her latest novel for young readers, Mika and Max – about a girl who meets a boy who makes her see everything differently – is also published by Walker. Jesse Blackadder was a horse-mad city kid who wanted to be a vet. She was that girl who postered her bedroom with horses and crowded her dressing table with prancing plastic ponies. She finally became a horse owner when she moved to the country as an adult. Jesse is the winner of several literary awards and has published novels for adults and children, including Paruku The Desert Brumby, based on the true story of a group of wild Australian brumbies that became endurance racehorses in Dubai.