Rachel Vail is the award-winning author of more than 30 books for young people. As a theater lover, Rachel sees and reads as many plays as she can. Well, That Was Awkward was in part inspired by her love of the play Cyrano - another tale of secrets, wit, self-confidence, self-loathing, friendship, identity-hiding, and romance that blossoms between all the wrong people. Or does it? Rachel lives in New York City with her husband, their two sons, and (like Gracie) a tortoise named Lightning.

Hyewon Yum is the author and illustrator of several acclaimed books for children, including Mom, It’s My First Day of Kindergarten!, which earned her an Ezra Jack Keats New Illustrator Award, and Saturday Is Swimming Day.

She is also the illustrator of A Piece of Home, written by Jeri Watts. Hyewon Yum lives with her family in Brooklyn, New York.