Kimberley Ngareta Kearney (Ngāti Maniapoto, Tuhoe) spent many years as a primary school teacher where she developed a love for sharing stories with young minds. Embarking on a journey to re-indigenise her whanau and reclaim the language that was lost generations before, Kim was inspired to write The Lost Words as a tribute to her and many others' rediscovered treasure, te reo Māori.

Taylor Terewai Tiave (Illustrator) Taylor Terewai Tiave (Ngāpuhi) was raised in California and now lives in beautiful Hawai'I, creating stunning art. She visits Aotearoa as often as she can and has whanau to visit, sharing waiata and purakau to nourish her roots to te ao Māori.