Jess McGeachin is an author and illustrator living in Naarm (Melbourne, Australia). His debut picture book, Fly, was published in 2019 by Puffin and was shortlisted for the Children's Book Council of Australia and Queensland Literary Awards. Jess has since published nine books locally and internationally, including Colin Collects Colors, with more on the way. His first two non-fiction books, Deep and Kind, were published in 2022. Deep was the winner of the 2023 CBCA Eve Pownall Award. Kind and The Tree at Number 43 are the co-winners of the Environment Awards for Children's Literature. Jess draws quite literally from a day job at Melbourne Museum, where he's lucky enough to help design exhibitions and occasionally get lost in the basement.