Kate Rietema and her husband have five children and live in West Michigan. Kate is passionate about wildlife and feels a special connection with Project Cheetah through her brother who lives in Namibia, Africa—just south of the Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF). She is also a registered nurse, community educator, and speaker. Kate’s first two children’s titles are inspired by her many years as a foster and adoptive mother. She also has over fifty stories and poems in publications like Highlights Magazine, Cricket Media, The School Magazine, and many more.Ash Roy (they/them) is an illustrator with a penchant for telling stories about people, animals, and whimsical creatures. From a young age, they became enchanted by the fantastical world of books and started doodling little critters in greeting cards for family and friends. They seek to create work that spreads knowledge and inspires curiosity about the world we live in. Ash works with both traditional and digital media, always looking for new ways of combining them.