Biographical note

Lesléa Newman is the author of over 70 books for children and adults. She has received many awards, including two Stonewall Book Awards honors, the National Jewish Book Award (Gittel’s Journey), fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Massachusetts Book Award, a Sydney Taylor Book Award and Honor, the Highlights for Children Fiction Writing Award, and the James Baldwin Award for Cultural Achievement, among many others. Nine of her books have been Lambda Literary Award finalists. She is also a popular guest lecturer at college campuses across the country, and currently she is a faculty mentor at Spalding University’s School of Creative and Professional Writing. Joshua Heinsz is an internationally published illustrator, writer, and designer specializing in markets for children and a focus on character design for animation. His picture books include Except When They Don’t by Laura Gehl, A Paintbrush for Paco by Tracey Kyle, and Frog Boots by Jill Esbaum. He is a graduate of the MFA in illustration practice program at MICA, and he has a love for bright and whimsical imagery with a flair for the fantastical and an air of nostalgia.