About the creators

Joachim Jake Layes

Verena Abidin

Joachim Jake Layes

Author

Joachim was born in Germany and had early ambitions of becoming an architect or astrophysicist. However, his true passion was a broad curiosity spanning the creative, practical, and theoretical. It shaped his diverse career in Europe, North America, and the Asia Pacific, including interior and industrial design, application engineering, sales and marketing, corporate sustainability, and supporting social and environmental entrepreneurs. After his mother passed away when he was six, his grand-aunt comforted him by pointing to the Big Dipper, inspiring him to write the story of Nova. Today, Joachim lives in Germany with his family and still looks up to the Big Dipper.

Verena Abidin

Visual Artist & Illustrator

Equipped with her paint brushes and intensely passionate about everything colourful and glittery, Verena is trying her best to add more beauty and joy to life and to the world. Her favourite media are acrylic ink, gouache, Japanese water colour and colour pencils. She uses them to create whimsical, richly textured and vibrant art instilled with lots of love. 

Verena is also a certified Montessori educator. She is currently based in Toronto, Canada with her family.