Kat Quin is a best-selling and award-winning author, illustrator and designer from the Waikato. The Kuwi and Friends Maori Picture Dictionary was inspired by her children, who have been passionately learning te reo Māori at school. Her hope is that this series will provide an accessible and practical way to help whanau (family members) feel confident to use more Māori words in the home. Kat first worked with Pānia Papa at the age of eighteen, when she was entrusted with the illustration of Māori language resources for Te Ara Reo Māori, developed by Takatu Associates Ltd. Over twenty years on, they still work closely together on various educational projects.

Pānia Papa is an acclaimed Māori language consultant and advocate who has spent the past three decades devoted to the teaching and learning of te reo Māori. After ten years of teaching te reo at Waikato University, Pānia began to create Māori language resources and learning programmes through Takatu Associates Ltd. Maori TV viewers can watch Pānia, on AKO and Opaki. Recently, Pānia and fellow trustees launched Kotahi Rau Pukapuka, a charitable project aiming to release 100 books in te reo over the next decade. Pānia translated all of the te reo Māori in this pukapuka (book), as well as advising and editing.