Jawnie Payne is a zookeeper at San Diego Zoo Safari Park. Payne has more than a quarter of a million followers on TikTok (@zookeeperjawnie). She went viral in 2020 when she posted a video of her wishing a happy Thanksgiving to all the animals. She previously worked at Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, Fort Worth Zoo, and Nashville Zoo. Susan Deming is an illustrator based in San Francisco. One of her favorite jobs was the several years she spent teaching art in public schools to children 6-11. Susan's favorite books are science or nature nonfiction and nature field guides. When she is not at her desk, you can find Susan taking long walks in the hills surrounding her home or in her garden.

Neon Squid creates beautiful nonfiction books for inquisitive kids (and kids at heart). We believe the most amazing stories are real ones, so our books are for children who want to decipher ancient scrolls, orbit distant stars, and dive into the deepest oceans. Our books are a labor of love - written by experts, illustrated by the best artists around, and produced using the finest materials, including sustainably sourced paper. We hope that by reading them kids are encouraged to further explore the worldaround them.