Mary Rand Hess

Mary Rand Hess is a poet, playwright, screenwriter, mixed-media artist, and New York Times bestselling author of notable and award-winning books such as Solo and Swing (HarperCollins), coauthored with Newbery Medalist Kwame Alexander, Animal Ark: Celebrating Our Wild World in Poetry and Pictures (National Geographic Children’s Books), also coauthored with Kwame Alexander and Deanna Nikaido, Little Larry Goes to School (National Geographic Children’s Books), written with renowned photographer Gerry Ellis, and The One and Only Wolfgang: From Pet Rescue to One Big Happy Family, coauthored with Steve Greig of @wolfgang2242 Instagram fame. Her picture books, Belong (HarperCollins) and Quiet is Strength (Rocky Pond Books) are forthcoming in 2024 and 2025. Mary lives in the Los Angeles area with her husband, two wildly creative sons, and one quirky dog (who sings while she plays the piano). In her spare time, she loves to wander in nature, compose on the piano, listen to music, read and collect books, mentor aspiring writers, create mixed media art, and spend time with family, friends, and her dog. She can't imagine a world without mountains and the sea, stories, poetry, and rock and roll. Visit her at www.maryrandhess.com or @maryrandhess on Instagram.