STORIES FROM AROUND THE WORLD: 4 TALES OF PERSISTENCE & GRIT

Lari Don was born in Chile, brought up in Scotland and now lives in Edinburgh, UK, with her family. Lari is a storyteller and award-winning children's author. She won the Canongate Prize in 2001 for her short stories. Her fiction is inspired by her love of myths, legends, and fables. Other works by Lari include Little Red Riding Hood (Barefoot Books, 2012), The Treasure of the Loch Ness Monster (Kelpies, 2018) and The Tortoise's Gift: A Story from Zambia (Barefoot Books, first published 2012). Liz Flanagan, PhD, runs a writing and retreat center in West Yorkshire and holds her degree in Creative Writing. She loves spending time outside, exploring the steep hills and woods near her home. When she isn't telling stories, she often curls up by the fire with a pile of good books. Her short story Come Fly With Me was published in the For Books' Sake YA anthology in January 2016. Her other published work includes Dragon Daughter (David Fickling Books, 2018), Eden Summer (David Fickling Books, 2016) and Cara and the Wizard (Barefoot Books, 2013). At the age of six, Mary Finch was given a copy of Andrew Lang's Green Fairy Book, and she has loved folk and fairy stories ever since. Now rather older than six, she has two daughters and two grandchildren and lives in Bath, UK. She has had more than twelve years' experience in children's publishing and nine years as a children's bookseller. Her published work includes The Little Red Hen (Barefoot Books, 2018) and The Three Billy Goats Gruff (Barefoot Books, 2001). Melanie Williamson paints her illustrations in a cozy studio in Manchester, UK and loves all things bright and quirky. She doesn't have a pet tiger, but her cat looks just like a snow leopard. . . and it can swim! She collaborated on a poetry anthology titled My First Oxford Book of Nonsense Poems (Oxford University Press, 2002). Her other published work includes The Wheels on the Bus (Barefoot Books, 2014), The Great Nursery Rhyme Disaster (Tiger Tales, 2012) and The Great Fairy Tale Disaster (Tiger Tales, 2012). Martina Peluso has wanted to be an illustrator ever since she read The BFG by Ronald Dahl when she was young. After growing up in Tuscany and Naples, Italy, she studied Art of Printing at the Institute of Art in Naples and has frequented illustration courses at Sarmede and Pavia. She has worked in all areas of illustration, including advertising, packaging, editorial and design; her artwork has been exhibited throughout the world. She has illustrated several children's books, including The Princess of the Springs (Barefoot Books, 2014; republished as The Ruler of the Springs in 2019). She lives in Edinburgh, Scotland. Valeria Docampo grew up in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and now lives in Lyons, France. She began drawing because she wanted to capture the poetry she saw in the world around her, especially in the faces of children and animals. She graduated the University of Buenos Aires with a degree in Graphic Design & Visual Communication and has won the Independent Publisher Book Award for Children's Picture Books. Valeria works full-time as a children's book illustrator. Her published work includes The Three Little Tamales (Two Lions, 2012), The Adventurers (Parragon Books, 2014), and Medio Pollito: A Spanish Tale (Two Lions, 2013).