Zulebia Esmail lives in Vancouver, British Columbia and enjoys taking walks with her husband and the family dog in Stanley Park, which was once the site of the Indigenous village called Xwayxway (pronounced Whoi whoi) that inspired her story.

Zulebia is an Early Childhood Educator and has owned and managed programs for her daycare, preschool and out of school care for thirty years. She notes she wanted to "write a book that sends a mindful message and that is a fun and interactive learning experience that provides an opportunity for parents to assess their children's language abilities and expand knowledge as a family." Xway, Xway and the Giant Red Cedar is her first book.