Maddison Dudley aims to spark curiosity and connection through stories that celebrate travel, language, and culture. Drawing on a childhood spent overseas and a career that took her around the world, she has seen firsthand how simple moments, like learning to say hello, can open doors to new friendships and experiences. Maddison lives in Encinitas, California, with her husband and their three young daughters, who continue to inspire her sense of adventure.

Violaine Costa is a children’s illustrator and author of more than 60 books published in France and internationally, represented by the New York–based Advocate Art Agency. She creates poetic, immersive visual worlds that bring stories to life and spark young readers’ imaginations. She works primarily with French publishers, and also collaborates in the United States with McGraw Hill and Collective Book, as well as in the UK and other countries. Her clients include Hachette, Flammarion, Glénat Jeunesse, Hatier, Gautier-Languereau, the City of Paris, and Adobe. A board member of the French association of children’s authors and illustrators, she actively advocates for artists’ rights. She leads the Graphic Arts program at Brassart, a higher education school of arts in Annecy, where she lives in France.