Courtney Sheinmel is a chocolate lover, a mac-and-cheese expert, and the author of over twenty highly celebrated books for kids and teens, including the middle-grade series The Kindness Club and the young readers’ series Stella Batts and Magic on the Map. For nearly a decade, Courtney has mentored teen writers at Writopia Lab, a nonprofit organization serving kids ages eight to eighteen, and she received a National Scholastic Outstanding Educator Award. She lives in New York City.

Renée Kurilla has illustrated many books for kids, including Orangutanka: A Story in Poems by Margarita Engle, Chicks Rule! by Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen, and the Ada Lace chapter book series by Emily Calandrelli. Her picture book Right This Very Minute, written by Lisl Detlefsen, was selected as the American Farm Bureau’s 2019 Book of the Year. Renée has a BFA in illustration and a diploma in graphic design from Lesley University College of Art and Design. She lives just south of Boston with her husband, daughter, and a plump orange cat that springs to life the moment everyone else falls asleep.