When Bumblebees Go to Sleep

Claire Wrenn Bobrow sprouted by the banks of the Mississippi River in Memphis, Tennessee, sledded off to snowy Vermont for college, then made a whimsical move to San Francisco, California, which stole her heart for good.

Over the course of her life she has been a flower girl, sung in a church choir, babysat a mob of emus, learned to knit, played rugby, rowed a boat in San Francisco Bay, rafted down the Grand Canyon, hiked on a volcano, forgotten how to knit, been yelled at by a museum guard (twice), and had an otter climb in her sea kayak. But she mostly stays home and drinks tea.

Her adventures have included a variety of jobs, from zoo volunteer to retail salesperson paralegal, graduate student, landscape designer, and practically professional school volunteer. But the constants in her life have always been books, reading, and a big imagination. So, one day, when her daughter and son were almost grown, she decided to try writing. Since childhood, Claire has been inspired by many books and authors.

These days Claire puts her degrees in German and Landscape Architecture to good use by gardening and attending the opera. She also works at a local independent bookstore and volunteers as a creative writing tutor to elementary school students. Claire buys new rose bushes more often than she should, makes a mean chocolate chip cookie, and loves spending time with her family and friends. Dogs make her very, very happy.

Natalie Vasilica was born in Moldova, where she was surrounded by countryside fields and farm animals. She loved to draw everything around her and capture the beauty of the moment. As an illustrator, she prefers to mix traditional mediums with digital tools to create a unique feeling, often inspired by nature, animals, and children. She lives in the Netherlands with her husband.