Leila Boukarim was born in Lebanon and raised in several countries. She now resides in Singapore with her husband and two wonderful children. After discovering that her older child was highly sensitive, Leila dedicated herself to shedding light on what it is like to have a child who does not enjoy the playground, sprinklers or parties, and to writing books that speak to these extraordinary children. Her self-published books, All Too Much for Oliver and Aiden Finds a Way, have been recommended by Dr Elaine Aron, the thought leader and research psychologist who coined the term “highly sensitive”. She is also the author of Hello Goodbye Little Island which was picked up by ThinkEqual, a registered UK charity that seeks to impart social and emotional learning to children around the world, as a title to include in their education curriculum.

Shameer Bismilla is a trained early childhood specialist. He is passionate about literacy instruction and how books can nurture the whole child. This inspired him to co-author The Boy and the Box and The Girl and the Box to create the reader’s journey and challenge societal expectations. Shameer coaches and mentors teachers in literacy instruction as an adjunct lecturer at the National Institute of Early Childhood Development. He also teaches at the German European School in Singapore.

Barbara Moxham was born in Munich, Germany and raised in Sydney, Australia. She currently calls Singapore home. After completing a Bachelor of Design in Visual Communications and a Master of Art in Painting and Drawing, she worked as an art director and a graphic designer. Her incurable book addiction and becoming a mum led her to picture book illustration. She has illustrated two books for highly sensitive children and hopes to help all children realize that being uniquely different is actually super cool.