Before he found his calling as a children’s author, Matt Forrest Esenwine spent a good part of his life writing poetry, which was published in various national journals and anthologies including the Donald Hall tribute, Except for Love (Encircle, 2019). Then his debut picture book, Flashlight Night (Boyds Mills & Kane, 2017), received a Kirkus starred review and was selected by the New York Public Library as one of the Best Books for Kids 2017 – and he never slowed down! Matt has 10 other books to his credit, and his children’s poetry can be found in anthologies like The National Geographic Book of Nature Poetry (National Geographic Children’s Books, 2015) and Night Wishes (Eerdmans, 2020), as well as “Highlights for Children” magazine. Connect with Matt at MattForrest.com.

Patricia Pessoa grew up in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where as a child she began her illustration career by making free drawings for friends in school. Years later she graduated from The Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro with a degree in Fine Arts, focusing on what she enjoyed the most, children’s book illustrations. Currently Patricia lives in England, and her hobbies include embroidery, ceramics, video games and annoying her cat.