About the Author
Diane Kroll MacPherson
Diane didn’t have many books as a young child, but she did have a mother who opened worlds for her through a worn volume of Grimm’s Märchen, treasured since her own childhood in Germany. Curled up on her mother’s lap, Diane was spellbound by those tales—where animals spoke, forests kept secrets, and each story unfolded to reveal deep truths about being human.
That early love of stories never faded; Diane went on to earn a master’s degree in children’s literature from Simmons University, deepening her understanding of the art of storytelling. Though her professional path has taken her in many directions, she has never lost her sense of wonder in the possibilities revealed through a good story.
Diane lives in rural Rappahannock County, Virginia with her husband John, her son Finn, and their dog Martha.
About the Illustrator
Margaret Rogers
Margaret Rogers’ imagination was nurtured early by her London mum, who filled Christmases, birthdays, and holidays with French marionettes and English picture books brimming with gnomes, fairies, and dragons. Those fantastical tales made drawing the magic realm feel like second nature and led her to study graphic design, illustration, and printmaking at the Corcoran and Virginia Commonwealth University.
As an artist and printmaker, Margaret is known for her nature-inspired work created using techniques like intaglio etching and monotype. Her art often features scenes from Shenandoah National Park and familiar rural landscapes, and she also creates illustrations and drawings in graphite and watercolor. Her studio, Hughes River Trading Co., is located behind her family's coffee business, Central Coffee Roasters in Sperryville, Virginia. The surrounding woods and mountains provide endless inspiration for her art.
