Z Archives - Hudson Childrens Book Festival

Zhao, Kyla

Zhao, Kyla

Kyla Zhao writes novels starring women and girls of color who challenge gender stereotypes, including May the Best Player Win, Valley Verified, and The Fraud Squad. She and her books have been featured by media outlets such as CBS, NBC, ABC, Good Morning America, Vogue, Elle, Cosmopolitan, Buzzfeed, South China Morning Post, etc. Kyla has also been selected as a Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree, a Tatler Leader of Tomorrow, and awarded a Certificate of Recognition by the California State Assembly. She now works at a tech company in Silicon Valley after graduating from Stanford University in 2021. https://www.kylazhao.com

Awards

American Library Association (ALA) Feminist Book Project 2025 selection; Forbes 30 Under 30; Tatler Leader of Tomorrow; Certificate of Recognition by California State Assembly.

3 Fun Facts

1. I draft in font size 7.
2. I am a chocolate fiend but cannot stand plain chocolate (best combo: with peanut butter).
3. I love snapping photos of quirky custom license plates.

Zunon, Elizabeth

Zunon, Elizabeth

I was born in Albany, NY and spent my childhood in hot, sunny, tropical Côte d’Ivoire in West Africa, where people speak French (and many other languages). My Mom read my little brother and me a lot of bedtime stories in English after we came home from speaking French at school.
After returning to the United States, I earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Illustration from the Rhode Island School of Design in 2006. My work is largely influenced by the people, places, and things from my childhood in Côte d’Ivoire as the product of two cultures. www.lizzunon.com

Awards

A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection: Through Sand and Salt, Kirkus Reviews Best Children’s Books: Bedtime for Sweet Creatures, Children’s Africana Book Award: The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind

3 Fun Facts

1. I speak French.
2. I love to bake.
3. I cannot paint without music!