The Pine Cone's Secret

Hannah Barnaby was a children's book editor, independent bookseller, and reviewer before becoming the first children's writer-in-residence at the Boston Public Library. She holds an MA in Children's Literature an MFA in Writing. Her books have earned awards and starred reviews. Hannah lives in Virginia with her family and dogs. You can visit her online at www.hannahbarnaby.com.

Cédric Abt was born in France, in 1988. Since early childhood, the art of drawing has been a source of inspiration for him. He chose to study graphic art at the ESA, Grande Ecole of Arts, in Tournai, Belgium. Soon, the art of illustration became particularly appealing and the idea of telling stories through drawings filled him with enthusiasm. After graduation, he became a freelance illustrator and started working for youth programs in Lille, in the north of France, for two years before moving to the Paris region. His work, first exclusively traditional, became more and more a mix of traditional and digital techniques: acrylic paint, pencil drawing, watercolors, collage, Photoshop ... for Cedric, the process is a sort of laboratory where experimentation and accidents give life to his drawings and create dream-like and colorful universes. During his work sessions, he likes to listen to music from Max Richter and Olafur Arnalds, to name just a few. His creative journey is based on more or less sensitive themes that generate inspiration: human nature, environmental nature, childhood, or loneliness. Open-minded, he doesn't set himself any barriers and nourishes his imagination via very different projects: children's books, CD jackets, novel covers, illustrations for concert cinemas, and animation. Today, he lives in Brittany, closest to nature and the sea!