Meet our creators
Heather harris bergevin
Heather Harris Bergevin is the owner of Barrow Editing, a business based in Columbia, South Carolina. When she’s not working with words, she’s with her three children, two cats, and happy pit bull, all of them united in a never-ending battle against chaos. She’s known for her mythology and folklore-inspired poetry books, published with By Common Consent Press. This is Heather’s debut children’s picture book.
Author of: Enough Elizabeths
Lexi Hall
Lexi Hall is a writer and illustrator from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, who now calls Boston, Massachusetts, home. When she’s not creating stories and art, she works as a children’s bookseller, helping young readers discover their next favorite book. Lexi is pursuing an MFA in children’s book writing and illustration, and her artwork has earned recognition from the Francelia Butler Conference and the SCBWI student illustrator scholarship program.
Illustrator of: Enough Elizabeths
ANsley Whiteside
Combining her knack for rhyming and love of children's literature, author Ansley Whiteside celebrates friendship, adventure, and NYC in her debut book. Whiteside grew up in Baton Rouge, LA, and moved to Columbia, SC, in 2003 to attend the University of South Carolina, where she fell in love with the city—and her now-husband. She has called Columbia home ever since, aside from a brief but memorable time when she, her husband, and their golden retriever lived in NYC. When she's not at her shop, Turner & Moss Curated Goods, Whiteside enjoys traveling, antiquing, spending time with family and friends, and having kitchen dance parties with her son.
Author of: Turner B Goes to NYC
Dinah Johnson
Legendary SC Children’s author and recent inductee into the South Carolina Academy of Authors (SCAA) Literary Hall of Fame, Dinah Johnson is joining Lucky Rabbit as we release a second edition of her beloved Sitting Pretty: A Celebration of Black Dolls in 2027.
Author of: Sitting Pretty: A Celebration of Black Dolls (NYR)
Maurice Carter
Maurice Carter is an illustrator whose work includes character design, illustration for gift products, and package design for baby products. He has worked with brands such as Dora the Explorer, SpongeBob SquarePants, and the San Francisco Giants. Picture books and creating images have always been a part of his life and he enjoys creating fun, memorable characters that kids and adults will enjoy reading about. He lives in North Carolina, and you can find him at maurice-carter.com.
Illustrator of: The Little Lion with the Little Roar, Maevis the Purple Cow
Megan park
Megan Park is a children’s book author who enjoys writing stories that inspire young readers. She has been passionate about fiction and poetry since childhood and has written hundreds of poems and stories over the years. Her work often explores themes of kindness, friendship, and resilience. A lifelong reader, Megan values books that leave a lasting impact and can be enjoyed time and again.
Author of: Maevis the Purple Cow
Meredith walker
Meredith is an artist and illustrator based in Columbia, South Carolina. She lives with her husband, two daughters, Penny the dog and Macaroni, their beloved cat. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of South Carolina and began painting in 2019 as a way to cope with postpartum depression. In addition to building an international collector base, Meredith has collaborated with independent designers and established brands to license her artwork for soft goods and women’s apparel. This is her first children’s book.
Author and illustrator of: Kit and her Cat
Illustrator of: Who Are We? (NYR), Who Are You Two? (NYR)
Nicola Prentis
Award winning children's author Nicola Prentis taught English in seven different countries before settling in Spain. When she had a baby, the rhyming books about animals were the ones she would read, as much for herself as her son. She couldn't help trying to write one and The Little Lion with the Little Roar is the result
Author of: The Little Lion with the Little Roar
Norman Morana
Norman Morana is an illustrator working in fine art and children’s publishing. He shares his life in Beaverton, Oregon, with his wife and their handsome cat, Dimitri. Norman grew up on the Southern Oregon Coast, where sea lions could be heard barking from the backyard. After high school, he moved to Portland and earned his BFA in Media Arts & Animation. This is his first children’s book.
Illustrator of: Turner B. Goes to NYC
Seth standley
Seth is an author, copywriter and poet living in Seattle with his wife and daughter. He studied linguistics at the University of Oklahoma and worked as an advertising creative director for many years. He advocates for silliness, joy and individuality.
Author of: Here's to the Silly Ones
Valerie Hamill
Valerie loves to draw anything that involves an ink or pencil line. She has illustrated for Yolimwon Publishing (Korea), Paseka Publishing (Czech Republic), Loyola University Press, Chicago Magazine, and True South Puzzle Company. She currently lives in Tennessee with her husband in a very old (and needy) house with two very large (and messy) magnolia trees. Her secret obsession is ancient history and Herodotus.
Illustrator of: Here's to the Silly Ones
Jed dearybury
My education career began in 2001. During my 13 years in the classroom, I was honored to be featured in GQ Magazine as a Male Leader of the Year, meet President Obama as a Presidential Award for Excellence recipient, be named a finalist for SC Teacher of the Year, and be selected as South Carolina’s first Milken Fellow. Since leaving my 2nd-grade classroom in 2015, I’ve led professional development nationwide and have taught higher education courses on creativity and play. In 2019, I founded my consulting business, MrDearybury.com LLC, where I serve as Director of Creativity. My mission is to Equip, Encourage, Empower, and Engage the teaching profession using creativity, laughter, and hands-on fun!
Author and illustrator of: The Sleep Sheep (NYR), The Rainbow Tree (NYR), Destroy the Box (NYR)
frank w baker
Frank W. Baker is a lifelong photographer and passionate Great Blue Heron enthusiast. Through years of patient observation, he has developed a deep understanding of one of North America's most iconic wetland birds, gaining rare insight into its behavior, habitat, and life cycle. With this book, he shares a lifetime of fascination and firsthand knowledge with young readers and nature lovers alike. Frank's professional career spans broadcast journalism, public education, and public television. A pioneer in media literacy education, he is the author of four books on the subject. In 2019, he was recognized by UNESCO's Global Alliance for Partnerships on Media and Information Literacy for his lifelong contributions to the field. In 2026. the Anne Frank Center at the University of South Carolina awarded him the Anne Frank Award for Leadership in Arts & Letters. He is also the author of the graphic novel We Survived the Holocaust: The Bluma and Felix Goldberg Story.
Author and photographer of: Close Encounters with the Great Blue Heron
Rachel Gitzen
Rachel Gitzen is a passionate educator and professional organizer whose experience working with children inspired Hands-On abcs. Drawing on her background in early childhood education and her work with RAH & Co., Rachel takes a practical, playful approach to early learning. Her book helps young children build fine motor skills and gain confidence as they learn to write.
Author of: Hands-On abcs
Clara and chase alford
Cara & Chase Alford live in sunny Charleston, South Carolina with their identical twin daughters and two spaniels. With their front-row seat to the beautiful chaos known as twin parenting, the Alfords noticed how few children's books exist for and about twins. The pair collaboratively wrote Who Are We? and Who Are You Two? two playful books about what it means to be a twin from the inside and out.
Authors of: Who Are We? (NYR), Who Are You Two? (NYR)
Maria Fabrizio
Author and illustrator of: The Forest Soirée (NYR)
Clay Hadden
Clay Hadden, M.S. CCC-SLP, is a speech-language pathologist with over 18 years of experience in providing child-centered therapy. He specializes in a play-based, child-led approach with a strong focus on augmentative and alternative communication in his speech clinic in Aiken, SC. Clay also creates children’s music with The SOKS and offers educational content on his YouTube channel, Mister Clay. His goal is to one day fund therapy services for under- and uninsured families with proceeds from his creative ventures.
Author of: Peek-a-VROOM? (NYR)
