Saguaro

Laekan Zea Kemp is a writer living in Austin, Texas. She is the author of A Crown for Corina, Somewhere Between Bitter and Sweet, which was a 2022 Pura Belpré Honor Recipient, and several other novels. She has three objectives when it comes to storytelling: to make people laugh, cry, and crave Mexican food. Her work celebrates Chicane grit, resilience, creativity, and joy while exploring themes of identity and mental health.

Gaby D'Alessandro is a Dominican illustrator who enjoys creating dreamlike images filled with nature symbolism and attention to detail. A graduate of Parsons School of Design, she is the illustrator of The Cot in the Living Room by Hilda Eunice Burgos and Stolen Science by Ella Schwartz. Her clients include The New York Times, National Geographic Magazine, The American Museum of Natural History, and other major institutions. She splits her time between Las Terrenas, Dominican Republic and New York City.