JonArno Lawson is an award-winning poet and writer who is the author of many books for children and adults, including Over the Shop and A Day for Sandcastles, both illustrated by Qin Leng, and Footpath Flowers, illustrated by Sydney Smith. He has also written Wise Up! Wise Down! with John Agard, a funny children's poetry collection with illustrations by acclaimed artist Satoshi Kitamura. He has won the Lion and the Unicorn Award for Excellence in North American Children's Poetry four times and has also won the Governor General's Award for Illustrated Children's Books. He has taught children's poetry at Simmons University and UBC, and lives in Toronto, Canada, with his family.