Naomi Hirahara is the award-winning author of history books, mysteries, and YA fiction. A former editor of The Rafu Shimpo newspaper and curator of historical exhibitions, she received her B.A. in international relations from Stanford University. Her nonfiction book Terminal Island: Lost Communities of Los Angeles Harbor won the Bruckman Award for Excellence from the Los Angeles Public Library. Her MG book, 1001 Cranes, was awarded honorable mention in youth literature from the Asian/Pacific American Libraries Association. Her Edgar Award-winning Mas Arai mystery series has been translated into Japanese, French and Korean. 

Sarah Demonteverde is a Filipino-American illustrator and designer based in the Greater Los Angeles Area. Combining her love for the vividness of life and unique narratives, she enjoys illustrating nature, culture, fantasy, and other enjoyable subject matter. She has illustrated several books including Hi’iaka and Pana’ewa: A Hawaiian Graphic Legend and You’re More than a Sprout. When she’s not drawing, she enjoys gardening, playing Hawaiian slack-key guitar, cooking, spending time with family, and searching up all the diverse eateries LA has to offer.