Eric Rosswood is a multi-award-winning author whose broad body of work centers around family, authenticity, diversity, hope, and strength. His best selling parenting books focus on the LGBTQ+ journey to parenthood and have helped couples around the world start their own families. His latest picture book, STRONG, featuring the world’s first and only openly gay professional strongman, won a 2023 Stonewall Honor from the American Library Association.  www.EricRosswood.com

Awards
Stonewall Honor Book (2013)
WINNER – Best Parenting/Family/Relationships book – IAN Book of the Year Awards (2017)
WINNER – Best Parenting book – Readers’ Favorite Book Awards (2017)
WINNER – Best LGBTQ Non-Fiction book – International Best Book Awards (2017)
AWARD-WINNING FINALIST International Book Awards (2017)

3 Fun Facts

1. Once participated in a giant pillow fight flash mob with hundreds of other people.
2. Climbed to the top of Mount Fuji.
3. Stayed the night in a hotel made out of ice. Even the bed was made out of ice!

Isabel Roxas is a storyteller and graphic artist. Her debut graphic novel, The Adventures of Team Pom: Squid Happens features three questing kids, a lonely giant squid, dramatic synchronized swimming routines, nefarious rats in bowler hats, mayhem and pigeons.

She has also illustrated several books for young readers, including Our Skin: A First Conversation about Race by Megan Madison and Jessica Ralli and Holding On by Sophie N. Lee.

Isabel was born in Manila, Philippines, was raised on luscious mangoes, old wives’ tales, and monsoon moons. She now resides in New York City with her husband and several adopted plants. https://studioroxas.com/

Awards/Honors
2022 Society of Illustrators Original Art show (Holding On)
2022 American Library Association Notable Book (Our Skin)
2022 NCTE Notable Books in Poetry (My Thoughts are Clouds)
2021 Society of Illustrators Original Art show (Team Pom)
2021 CLPE Core reading list (Team Pom)

3 Fun Facts

1. I always trip myself while walking.
2. I can’t resist a crane claw machine. Even though I am absolutely terrible at playing it and have NEVER won a toy, I am forever hopeful.
3. I enjoy collecting facts about pigeons. Did you know? It is a misconception that they dirty animals. They actually like to groom themselves and bathe often, especially during the summer months.

Kheris Rogers is an author and CEO of the widely known apparel brand and social movement “Flexin’ In My Complexion.” Born in 2006 in Los Angeles, California, Rogers started Flexin’ In My Complexion after years of bullying in school because of her dark skin complexion. At just 10 years old, she became the world’s youngest designer to ever showcase at New York Fashion Week. Her clothing line has been worn by celebrities such as Whoopi Goldburg, Lupita N’yongo, Lena Waithe, and Alicia Keys. flexininmycomplexion.com

Awards
Teen Vogue 21 Under 21, InStyle Magazine’s Badass 50 list, and honored by the Princess Diana Organization

3 Fun Facts

1. Kheris is a Leo, youngest designer to ever showcase at New York Fashion Week and is a teen entrepreneur

When Jean Reidy was a kid, she was a reader, a writer, a poet and a dreamer. She’s happy to still be that kid at heart. Her bestselling and award-winning picture books have earned their spots as favorites among readers and listeners of all ages and from all over the world. Truman, also illustrated by Lucy Ruth Cummins, was a Parents’ Choice Gold Award winner, a Charlotte Zolotow Honor winner, a Colorado Book Award winner and was recognized on “Best of” lists by School Library Journal, the New York Times, NPR and Amazon. Visit Jean at https://jeanreidy.com/.

3 Fun Facts

1. I’ve never had a pet spider, but I have resided with an assortment of not-so-well-behaved turtles, parakeets, lizards, goldfish, hamsters and even one feisty, fire-bellied toad.
2. My favorite food is crunchy peanut butter … right off the spoon.
3. I’m a fan of football, train trips and tall, tall mountains.

Anica Mrose Rissi is the author of the Anna, Banana chapter-book series; the picture books Watch Out for Wolf!, The Teacher’s Pet, and Love, Sophia on the Moon; the middle-grade collection Hide and Don’t Seek: And Other Very Scary Stories; and the YA novels Always Forever Maybe and Nobody Knows But You. Her essays have been published by The Writer and the New York Times, and she plays fiddle in and writes lyrics for the band Owen Lake and the Tragic Loves. Find out more at anicarissi.com, and follow @anicarissi on Instagram and Twitter.

Awards:
Anica’s books have been published in multiple languages around the world. Her most recent picture book, Love, Sophia on the Moon, won the Maine Literary Award and the Paterson Prize for Books for Young People, and Hide and Don’t Seek was named a YALSA Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers.

3 Fun Facts

1. Played the National Anthem on her viola at a Boston Celtics game
2. Grew up on a small island off the coast of Maine, where there were only 24 kids in her class at school
3. Lives with a very good dog named Arugula

Anna Raff is an award-winning illustrator of several books for children. Before her career as an illustrator, she was a designer at The Metropolitan Museum of Art and several children’s book publishers in New York City. When she is not drawing, she teaches illustration at the School of Visual Arts in New York City, designs websites and book trailers, and recently animated a music video.  www.annaraff.com/

Awards
– Starred reviews: Kirkus, Booklist, Publisher’s Weekly, School Library Journal
– New York Public Library Best Book of the Year
– Bank Street Best Book of the Year
– The Original Art Show, Society of Illustrators

3 Fun Facts

1. When I was a kid, I had a robot factory in my basement.
2. I am an avid birder, and so far I have seen almost 200 different species in New York City.
3. I am left-handed, but throw a frisbee right-handed.