Justine Wong is a Toronto-based illustrator specializing in food, books, and lifestyle. She is best known for her project 21 Days in Japan: An Illustrative Study on Japanese Cuisine, featuring 100 meal paintings from her travels in Japan. After living in Tokyo for a year, Justine has worked on editorial publications, storybooks, and advertising campaigns globally. Recently, she illustrated her first children’s book, Piece by Piece, for the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, MA.

"Picturing Stories for Primaries" A 45 minute virtual visit with Author/Illustrator Ruth Ohi (includes Q&A and an interactive drawing demo with optional draw along). Young readers experience where stories can come from, how characters are developed and how scribbles can grow a story. Students suggest big feelings, settings and plot points which result in creating a visual story together with Ruth. This can be used as a springboard for their own stories. More about Ruth's Virtual Visits: https://www.ruthohi.com/visits Age Range: Kindergarten through Grade 2 Photographs are welcome and appreciated, but please no audio/video recording.

Wenting Li is a Toronto-based artist and illustrator working across various mediums, including installation, print, digital publications, drawing, painting, comics, and murals. Her current artistic explorations focus on themes such as collections, digital traces, climate solutions, communal futures, memory, everyday routines, and storytelling within sci-fi and fantasy genres.

Christine Wei is a Taiwanese illustrator based in Canada, drawing inspiration from life stories, nature, and textile patterns. Her work, recognized by the Society of Illustrators New York and American Illustration, conveys dynamic, relatable narratives. For First Book Canada’s 15th Anniversary, Christine designed the Citrusy Summer bookshelf, with a backboard design that invites users to discover the artwork as they reach for books, mirroring the experience of uncovering a story.

Angela Poon is a freelance illustrator and comic artist from Mississauga, Ontario, best known for her work on the award-winning graphic novel Fred & Marjorie: A Doctor, a Dog, and the Discovery of Insulin. Her art features simple, warm designs, often incorporating bunnies. Inspired by her childhood love of illustrated books and comics, Angela pursued a career in storytelling through illustration.

Anna Bron is a Vancouver-based illustrator with a background in traditional hand-drawn animation from Sheridan College. She has illustrated several children’s books, including the award-winning Salma series and No Horses in the House! Her work, influenced by 19th-century artist William Morris and Persian miniature painting, features intricate patterns and ornamentation. For this bookshelf design, Anna incorporated a hidden starry backdrop to capture the magic of storybooks and her passion for beautifully crafted narratives.

Azby Whitecalf is a Plains Cree Character Designer and Illustrator from Saskatoon, Treaty 6 Territory, with a Bachelor’s in Visual Communication from the Alberta University of the Arts. Their work promotes curiosity and education, inspired by a love for science and space. Azby values books as tools for imagination and learning, encouraging both youth and adults to explore and grow through reading.

Clayton Nguyen is a Vietnamese artist from Ottawa, currently based in Toronto, Ontario. His work is often inspired by his childhood fascination with space, which ignited his imagination and creativity. For this design, Clayton aimed to create a bookshelf that would have captivated him as a child, with the hope of inspiring other young minds. His love for storytelling fuels his artistic process, allowing him to explore new ideas, perspectives, and experiences, which continue to shape his personal and creative growth.

Kevin Sylvester, a Toronto-based illustrator, has brought over 30 children's books to life. His debut graphic novel, Puffin and Penguin, created with author Helaine Becker, launches this fall and inspired his bookcase design. Much like Kevin, Puffin and Penguin share a deep love for both books and art.

Sid Sharp is a Toronto-based artist specializing in drawing, painting, and comics. Their debut comic, The Wolf Suit, was a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection and featured on Best of the Year lists by the New York Public Library, The Globe and Mail, and others. Sid's work is inspired by folklore, eerie stories, and the mysterious, and they enjoy collecting unique sticks in their spare time.