Since discovering an old book in a rubbish pile when he was eight years old, Otávio Júnior has never stopped reading. Today he is a writer, actor, storyteller and theatrical producer in his hometown of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Otávio also founded the Ler é 10 — Leia Favela project, which opened the first permanent library in the favelas of Complexo de Penha and Alemão in Rio and continues to bring the love of reading to children in his community.

Vanina Starkoff was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina. She studied graphic design at the University of Buenos Aires and she graduated with the Colombian illustrator José Sanabria. Since completing her first picture book in 2010, she has gained international recognition for her vivid landscape illustrations. She lives in Buzios, Brazil.