Melissa Taylor is a mom of two girls, an education blogger & writer, a children’s book expert, a former award-winning bilingual teacher with an M.A. in Education, a former literacy trainer for teachers, and a passionate advocate for literacy, representation in children’s literature, and high-quality education. She has taught ESL, bilingual kindergarten, bilingual 4/5, 4th, and 5th grades, and coached teachers in K-12 grades. In addition, she was a four-time consecutive winner of Outstanding Teacher in Douglas County, Colorado. She loves to make learning fun, engaging, and meaningful for kids by providing helpful information and resources for parents, grandparents, teachers, and librarians.

She consults with children’s authors and illustrators in her business, Imagination Soup Consulting. In that capacity, she helps authors improve their school visits with presentation tips and personalized, interactive, and educational activities customized to their books. She also supports authors with publicity, marketing, and author branding.

She's the Communications Chair for The Right Step Board of Directors. The Right Step, Inc is an adaptive riding barn that serves veterans and adults and children with disabilities.

Learn more at: https://melissataylor.net/

Claudia Rueda is a Colombian author and a New York Times Best Seller illustrator of over thirty picture books. Rueda's books have been published in the United States, Mexico, and Spain and have been translated into seventeen different languages. She’s a 2016 Hans Christian Andersen and Astrid Lindgren Awards nominee. Claudia went to Law and Art school and worked as a political cartoonist in Colombia. She then studied Children’s Book Illustration at UC Berkeley and holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Lesley University in Cambridge, MA. Claudia lives in New York City and teaches a course on picture books at the School of Visual Arts. Learn more at: https://claudiarueda.com/

Olivia Abtahi is a proud Iranian Argentinian American. Her debut novel, Perfectly Parvin, was published in 2021, receiving the SCBWI Golden Kite Honor, YALSA Odyssey Honor, and numerous starred reviews. Her sophomore novel, Azar on Fire, was published in August 2022 and is a SLJ pick. Olivia's third novel, Twin Flames, is a New Visions Award winner and published in August 2024. The Interpreter is her first picture book, receiving five starred reviews. She currently lives in Denver, Colorado, with her husband and children.

Learn more at https://www.oliviaabtahi.com/

Rebecca K. Morrison was born in Iran, immigrated to the United States in her teens, and now lives in the Washington, DC, area. In 2020, after practicing law for over two decades, Rebecca decided to pursue her dreams of becoming a writer. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, NBC News, Newsweek, The Independent and HuffPost, among others. Her debut novel, The Blue Dress, based on her childhood as an Iranian immigrant trying to fit into her family's expectations of beauty and her American homeland is coming out on March 24, 2026. Learn more at: https://www.rebeccakmorrison.com/

Amy Seto Forrester (she/her) is passionate about diverse, engaging books for developing readers. She draws on a decade of experience as a children’s librarian, a background in the performing arts, and a lifelong love of puzzles, mazes, and all forms of interactive learning. Amy served on the 2016 Geisel Award Committee. She has written pieces for Booklist, School Library Journal, and Calling Caldecott. She currently reviews for Kirkus. Happily rain-drenched, Amy thrives in the Pacific Northwest. She proudly identifies as mixed-race Chinese American.

Learn more at https://www.amysetoforrester.com/

Andy Chou Musser makes books for kids.

He is the author and illustrator of the picture book A Home Under the Stars, co-creator of the picture book Papilio with Ben Clanton and Corey R. Tabor, and co-creator of two series for young readers: Science Explorers with Amy Seto Forrester and Ploof with Ben Clanton.

Andy lives in Seattle, where he can also be found rock climbing, eating donuts, and planning adventures.

Andy proudly identifies as mixed-raced Chinese American.

Learn more at https://andychoumusser.com/

Nicholas Manning is an educator and writer passionate about nurturing emotional growth through literature. Drawing on twelve years of teaching middle school language arts and experience illustrating children's books, he now authors Angel Among Us. Inspired by his mother's passing and written for his twin sons, this book serves as a gentle, visually engaging resource to help children process loss and grief. Nicholas lives in Pittsburgh with his husband, James Allen, their twin boys, and their French bulldog, Cooper.

Learn more at: https://www.blueballoonbooks.com/authors/nicholas-manning

Dan Gemeinhart lives in a small town smack dab in the middle of Washington state with his wife and three young daughters. He was lucky and grateful to be a teacher-librarian in an elementary school for thirteen years, where he got to share awesome books with awesome kids. He loves camping, cooking and traveling. He also plays guitar (badly) and reads (constantly). His house is always a mess. He is really pretty darn happy.

Learn more at: www.dangemeinhart.com

Kathy Kacer is a multiple award-winning author whose books have sold in over twenty countries and have been translated into many languages. Her novels are stories of hope, courage, and humanity in the face of overwhelming adversity.

These days, in addition to writing, she speaks to young people in schools and libraries around the world, about the importance of understanding the Holocaust and keeping its memory alive. She also speaks in universities and colleges on the topic of teaching sensitive material to young people.

Learn more at www.kathykacer.com