Todd Shuster is an author, literary agent, and film producer. He is a co-CEO of Aevitas Creative Management and a cofounder of the Peace Studio, which seeks to assist a global community of artists and journalists in building a culture of peace. The First Day of Peace is his picture book debut. He lives in New York City.

Maya Soetoro-Ng works as a peace educator at the Matsunaga Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution at the University of Hawai'i. She also helps to develop Asia-Pacific leadership and global girls’ education programs with the Obama Foundation. Inspired by her two delightful daughters, Maya Soetoro-Ng is the author of the picture book Ladder to the Moon and of the forthcoming young adult novel Yellowwood. She is a cofounder of the nonprofits Ceeds of Peace, the Institute for Climate and Peace, and the Peace Studio.


Tatiana Gardel is a Brazilian-born illustrator whose work has been recognized by the Society of Illustrators in New York and American Illustration. Her art is inspired by her culture, by her love for nature, and by mythology and childhood memories. She is a cofounder of #LatinxPitch and lives in New York City with her family.