Authors

Sharlene Poole has over 25 years' of experience of working with babies and young children. For the last 13 years she has worked as a consultant for new parents or parents with children under 5 years, giving them guidance and advice regarding routine, sleep and behaviour. Her talents for calming babies have been showcased on TVNZ's Sunday programme, and she has been a regular contributor to magazines and TV. Now based in Raglan, she is testing her skills on her own young family, while still advising many parents in need.

No biography

Kirianna and Lachlan (Lockie) and their three kids - Riley, Alba and Elise - are best known for their hugely popular Instagram page @theslowroad_ which has 168K followers.Kirianna is a Kiwi and Lockie is Australian; after the pandemic grounded Lockie's career as pilot, they travelled all around Australia in their custom-made kombi.They recently shipped their custom van to New Zealand and spent most of 2023 travelling and documenting their trips around the country.

Ivor Popovich works in Auckland as an intensive care doctor and will fully qualify as a specialist in August 2025. He has worked across different hospitals and specialties since finishing medical school in 2015. He was involved in treating patients during the Covid pandemic and the Whakaari White Island disaster. When not at the hospital he can be found shooting hoops or tickling the ivories on his piano.

No biography

No biography

No biography

No biography

No biography

Dr Francis Pound (1948–2017) was a New Zealand art historian, curator and writer. He taught for some years in the art history department of the University of Auckland before becoming an independent art curator and writer. His books include Frames on the Land: Early Landscape Painting in New Zealand (Collins, 1983), The Space Between: Pakeha Use of Maori Motifs in Modernist New Zealand Art (Workshop Press, 1994), Stories We Tell Ourselves: The Paintings of Richard Killeen (Auckland Art Gallery and David Bateman, 1999), Walters: En Abyme (Gus Fisher Gallery, 2004) and The Invention of New Zealand: Art & National Identity, 1930–1970 (Auckland University Press, 2009). Leonard Bell is an independent art and cultural historian based in Auckland. Among other works, he is author of Colonial Constructs: European Images of Maori 1840–1914 (1992), Marti Friedlander (2009), Strangers Arrive: Emigrés and the Arts in New Zealand, 1930–1980 (2017) and Marti Friedlander: Portraits of the Artists (2020), all published by Auckland University Press.

Kirsty Powell lives in Waiau Pa, South Auckland. She was the winner of the 2020 Booklovers Best Adult Fiction Award with her debut book, The Strength of Eggshells. She has also published anthology poetry and short stories and is considering a foray next into the children's book world.

Dimity Powell is a writer of children’s stories and a reviewer of books, and also acts as a Books in Homes role model. Nicky Johnston is an educator, speaker and author/illustrator. She is passionate about promoting emotional resilience in children and raising awareness of mental health issues.