Lesa Cline-Ransome is the author of more than twenty books for young readers including the award-winning Finding Langston trilogy. Her work has received a plethora of honors, including dozens of starred reviews, NAACP Image Award nominations, a Coretta Scott King honor, the Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction and a Christopher Award. Her work has been named to ALA Notable Books and Bank Street Best Children's Book lists and she lives in the Hudson Valley region of New York.

James E. Ransome's has illustrated many award-winning books for children. His numerous accolades include a Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award for The Creation; a Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor for The Bell Rang, Before She was Harriet, and Uncle Jed's Barbershop; and an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work for Let My People Go. He lives in upstate New York.