Curtis Manley grew up building model rockets and reading science fiction about aliens and long trips to other star systems--none of which had Jupiter-like planets close to their stars. Later he studied volcanoes and the geology of other planets and moons. In the high desert of Idaho he mapped huge lava flows similar to ones on Venus. Curtis lives near Seattle with his wife and their daughter, who was born the year that the first exoplanet around a sun-like star was discovered. Curtis is the author of Just Right: Searching for the Goldilocks Planet and Shawn Loves Sharks . Jessica Lanan has long been enchanted by the mysteries of the cosmos. Exoplanets are too far away for her to visit, but illustrating them is the next best thing. Jessica currently lives in her native state of Colorado with her husband, three-legged cat, and baby daughter, who was born during the making of Just Right: Searching for the Goldilocks Planet .

Jessica's illustrations can also be found in Finding Narnia: The Story of C. S. Lewis and His Brother Warnie .