JonArno Lawson, a writer who has published many books for children and adults, was born in Hamilton, Ontario, and raised in nearby Dundas. He now lives in Toronto, Ontario, with his wife and three children. Lawson won the Lion and the Unicorn Award for Excellence in North American Poetry four times. He is probably best known as the author of the picture book Sidewalk Flowers.Nahid Kazemi is a visual artist and author-illustrator with a master's degree in painting from the Tehran University of Art. She has published more than sixty children's books and has received awards for her illustrations in Iran, Canada, and China, as well as nominations for the Canadian Governor General's Literary Award and the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award. She has also taught art and has exhibited her work in Iran, France, Italy, the UK, Lebanon, and Serbia. She lives in Montreal.