Mariah Clark Skewes, known in her real life as Mary Boyle, knows from experience that children have individual personalities that can be shaped, but not changed - her own four adult children are unique and talented, each following their own dreams. Mariah/Mary's degrees in Psychology and Special Education have guided her work with children for many years as both a teacher and school administrator, specializing in connecting with those kiddos who sometimes have presented the greatest challenges - yet yielded the greatest rewards. She and her husband live on a vineyard in the Sierra Nevada foothills of Northern California where they grow wine grapes and raise honeybees and Babydoll Southdown Sheep. When not writing, she enjoys volunteering as a CASA with children in the foster care system, competing in world marathons and travelling. Phoebe Cho is a talented illustrator who loves travel, surfing, biking, and collaborating on children's picture books. Originally from South Korea, Phoebe has lived in Portugal and now calls the United Kingdom home. Her artistic specialty is the drawing of children and adults, with fine attention to facial expressions. She has a unique talent for capturing the emotions of a story's characters and bringing them to life for the reader. Phoebe graduated from the University of Brighton, with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Illustration and is now a freelance illustrator for books, advertisements, and educational materials. She describes her style as organic and warm, yet modern and quirky through her use of texture, shape and color.