Suzanne Kaufman books include her own book Blue, A Friend for Ghost, Confiscated and illustrated work: Hello Dog/Hello Human, Wherever You Go, All Are Neighbors, Big Feelings, Take Your Pets to School Day, Let's Eat, Let's Make Music, 100 Bugs and the #1 New York Times selling All Are Welcome. Her books have been awarded Bank Street College Education Best Children’s Books of the Year, CCBC Choices recommended reads and seen in Bologna Children’s Book Fair Spectator Child Exhibition.

Asia Citro has an M.Ed in Science Education and was a classroom science teacher for many years before deciding to become a children's book author. She lives near Seattle with her wonderful husband, two awesome children, and two destructive cats.

Rachel Michelle Wilson is the author and illustrator of TO CATCH A GHOST (Scholastic) and HOW TO PEE YOUR PANTS: THE RIGHT WAY (Macmillan) which was one of Kirkus Reviews Best Picture Books of 2024. When she is not making books, you can find her puzzling over a logic problem, hosting a living room dance party, or paddle boarding near her home in Kitsap county with her husband and dog.

Suzanne is a national best-selling author with over 30 books for young readers and has won numerous state awards. She is the founder of this book festival and the owner of Liberty Bay Books.

Dr. Audrey Barbakoff is a librarian, educator, and entrepreneur. She is a nationally recognized advocate for the freedom to read. Audrey loves sharing her culture through folklore, humor, and lots of Yiddish interjections. Oy vey!

Maya Prasad is a South Asian American author, a Caltech graduate, and a former software engineer. She currently resides in the Pacific Northwest, where she enjoys hiking, kayaking, and raising her budding bookworm kiddo. Her works include the SEJAL SINHA chapter book series as well as DRIZZLE, DREAMS, AND LOVESTRUCK THINGS, a YA contemporary romance novel.

Corey R. Tabor is the author and illustrator of several books for children, including the Caldecott Honor-winning Mel Fell and the Geisel Award winners Fox Has a Problem, Fox at Night and Fox the Tiger. Corey lives in Tacoma, Washington with his wife and son and spends his time making pictures and stories.

Nikki McClure lives in Olympia where she makes books for curious kids of the Salish Sea. She sails, rows, swims and when not on or in the water, she cuts paper to create the illustrations for her books.

Jennifer K. Mann is an award winning author/illustrator who lives on Bainbridge Island, near Seattle. She was once an architect who loved to draw buildings, but now she loves drawing kids and animals and nature and all the magical things in picture books.

Curtis Manley is an award-winning author of picture books—from fiction to nonfiction to poetry to a retold folktale—including the Washington State Book Award winner SHAWN LOVES SHARKS. A former volcanologist and software engineer, he lives east of Seattle with his wife and cat. www.CurtisManley.com

Ashley Erdely is a published author, educator, and nature enthusiast who lives in White Salmon, Washington with her husband, daughter, and puppy. Things in nature that inspire her include sleeping under the stars, jellyfish, moving water, wings, and the many colors in a single meadow.

Heidi Lang is the author of ten middle grade novels, including Whispering Pines—a Junior Library Guild Selection and Washington State Book Award Finalist—Out of Range, a wilderness survival story called 'realistic and riveting' by Kirkus, and Wrong Way Summer, named one of Bank Street’s Best Books of the Year. If she’s not writing, she’s probably exploring the Pacific Northwest with her husband, two kids, and very opinionated corgi in search of her next great story idea.

Kirby Larson is a Newbery Honor and New York Times bestselling author with a passion for bringing stories of the past to readers of today. She also loves writing friendship stories like her latest titles, GUT REACTION, and the Shermy and Shake chapter book series.

Trudi Trueit is the author of more than 100 fiction and nonfiction books for kids, including the popular Explorer Academy fiction series for National Geographic. Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, she loves photography, chocolate, and serving the whims of her three cats.

Lily LaMotte is the author of the middle grade graphic novels MEASURING UP and UNHAPPY CAMPER and the picture book CHLOE’S LUNAR NEW YEAR. She’s on the board of the King County Library System Foundation.

Suma Subramaniam is a recruiter by day and a children's book author by night, whose books are centered around STEM/STEAM topics and Indian culture. She lives in Seattle, Washington with her family and a dog that will do anything for Indian sweets and snacks.

Maureen McQuerry is an award-winning writer of books about wonder for children and adults. She was a teacher for many years and now she lives on an island with her husband, two noisy chickens and a hive full of bees.

Tae Keller is the Newbery winning and #1 New York Times bestselling author of When You Trap a Tiger, Jennifer Chan is Not Alone, and the Mihi Ever After series. She lives in Seattle with her husband, a dog named Butter, and a mountain of books.

Donna Barba Higuera is the New York Times best selling author of Middle Grade and picture books that reinvent history, folklore, and/or her own life experience into compelling storylines. She lives in Washington State with her husband, four kids, three dogs and a frog.

Karen DeWitz has a rich background in instruction, outdoor education, and photography. As a former teacher with a master’s degree in education, she has experience both in the classroom and in Northwest wild places—teaching, writing, exploring, and marveling in the beauty of the Pacific Northwest.

Kristin Varner received her degree in illustration from Rhode Island School of Design and is an award-winning children’s book author and illustrator living in the Pacific Northwest. Kristin is the illustrator of Pink Cupcake Magic, and is the creator of two graphic novels, Horse Trouble and her most recent, Dog Trouble.

AMANDA ABLER, a science nerd at heart, loves all things related to science and enjoys writing nonfiction because of the many interesting things she gets to learn and the new people she gets to meet. She is the author of The Spirit of Springer, Big Bertha and Galloping Gertie. www.AmandaAbler.com

Ellie Peterson is the author and illustrator of multiple picture books, including Washington State Award Winner HOW TO HUG A PUFFERFISH. You can find her making art in her backyard studio or exploring the beautiful Pacific Northwest, where she lives with her family and her dog, Daisy.

Quinn Wyatt is a debut author and lives in Kenmore, WA with her wonderful husband, amazing kids and so-so dog. She has lived with Crohn's Disease most of her life and is so encouraged by the progress that has been made in treating Irritable Bowel Diseases.

Tom Crestodina is a Pacific Northwest fisherman, artist, and author whose work celebrates the maritime community and its tradespeople. He lives in Bellingham, Washington with his wife, Ania, and their two children.

Martha Brockenbrough is the author of more than twenty books for young readers—everything from picture books through young adult, fiction and nonfiction. She was the co-chair of faculty at Vermont College of Fine Arts, founded National Grammar Day, and likes dogs and cats equally.

A four-time Emmy Award-winning writer for "Bill Nye the Science Guy," Lynn Brunelle has over 30 years experience writing for people of all ages, across all manner of media. Previously a classroom science, English and art teacher for kids K-12, she is an award-winning author of over 50 titles, including Haiku EW!, Life After Whale, The Pop-up Planetarium, Turn This Book into a Beehive.

Suzanne Williams, a former librarian, is the author of over 90 books for children, including the popular Goddess Girls series (co-authored with Joan Holub). Her newest co-authored series is School for Magical Monsters (ages 5 – 8). 

Laura Knetzger is the author and illustrator of several graphic novels, including the Ignatz-award nominated Bug Boys. She is also the illustrator of the Eisner Award-winning Bigfoot and Nessie graphic novel series.

Andy Chou Musser makes books for kids. He is the author and illustrator of the picture book A Home Under the Stars, co-creator of the picture book Papilio with Ben Clanton and Corey R. Tabor, and co-creator of two series for young readers: Science Explorers with Amy Seto Forrester and Ploof with Ben Clanton.