Jes­ka Ver­ste­gen is the author of I’ll Keep You Close and an illus­tra­tor of more than 150 books, includ­ing Bear Is Nev­er Alone, which was named a New York Times/​New York Pub­lic Library Best Illus­trat­ed Book and a Bank Street Col­lege Best Chil­dren’s Book. In 2024 she received the high­est pos­si­ble gold­en award in the Nether­lands for her illus­tra­tions in the book The Rope and the Truth. Jes­ka lives and works in Ams­ter­dam. You can fol­low her on Insta­gram: @jeska_verstegen.