Deborah Kelly grew up in rural New Zealand, has lived and travelled in the UK and Japan, and now lives in Australia.

While being the primary carer for her children (and providing for the additional needs of one of them) Deborah has written picture books, junior fiction and middle grade fiction as well as poetry and material for the educational market. She is passionate about literacy and enjoys visiting schools, libraries and festival events to share her books with children. Her titles include the Ruby Wishfinger series (Wombat Books) and Dugong Magic (Hachette Australia). Deborah is currently studying for a Bachelor of Speech Pathology with a special interest in literacy

Joanna Bartel is a designer and illustrator. Previously, she has been a graphic designer for a boutique fashion label, a senior art and design teacher and an English teacher in Melbourne and Brisbane, and a copywriter and graphic designer in marketing. Now she brings her experience in Arts education, design, teaching and creative marketing to her illustration work! Joanna particularly loves character design and creating imaginative and playful images to engage children and enhance imaginative learning.