Mission Control

Welcome to Mission Control — the place where the magic of Skyler, Apollo, and Pete begins! Here, you can meet the space-obsessed minds behind the adventures, learn a little about how the books are created, and get a peek behind the scenes of our cosmic storytelling.

Click here to hyperjump to the author’s space pad!
Click here to blast off to the illustrator’s home planet!

About The Author

Auntie KC began writing books for her niece and nephews several years ago when they were all young. While imbuing the books with the silliness of children, she can’t help throwing a little science, math, and engineering in for good measure. This stems from her past as the Chief Scientist for Human Space Flight at NASA Headquarters in Washington DC. Her philosophy is to entertain people and sneak education in when they aren’t looking. This works equally well for members of congress as it does for the 5-8 year olds she inspires.

A close-up view of an astronaut's bootprint in the lunar soil, photographed with a 70mm lunar surface camera during the Apollo 11 extravehicular activity (EVA) on the moon. While astronauts Neil A. Armstrong, commander, and Edwin E. Aldrin Jr., lunar module pilot, descended in the Lunar Module (LM) "Eagle" to explore the Sea of Tranquility region of the moon, astronaut Michael Collins, command module pilot, remained with the Command and Service Modules (CSM) "Columbia" in lunar orbit. Image Credit: NASA
Apollo Astronaut James B. Irwin, lunar module pilot, works at the Lunar Roving Vehicle during the first Apollo 15 lunar surface extravehicular activity (EVA) at the Hadley-Apennine landing site. The shadow of the Lunar Module "Falcon" is in the foreground. This view is looking northeast, with Mount Hadley in the background. This photograph was taken by astronaut David R. Scott, commander. Image Credit: NASA
NASA's Galileo spacecraft took this image of Earth's Moon on Dec. 7, 1992, on its way to explore the Jupiter system in 1995-97. The distinct bright ray crater at the bottom of the image is the Tycho impact basin. Image Credit: NASA

Fun Facts about Auntie KC!

Research Scientist

Auntie KC is an Associate Research Scientist in the Department of Aerospace Engineering at the University of Michigan, where she studies amazing things about space, rockets, and exploration.

Space Brainiac

She also served as Chief Scientist for Human Spaceflight at NASA, working on projects for both the Human Exploration & Development of Space Enterprise and the International Space Station, helping astronauts and spacecraft reach new heights.

Polar Explorer

KC once gave a lecture from the North Pole! Talk about a chilling experience!

Jet Pilot

She has even landed an F-18 fighter jet on an aircraft carrier, showing that her skills aren’t just on paper, but out in the real, high-flying world too.

Behind the scenes!

Ever wondered how Auntie KC dreams up her creative and fun-filled adventures? Follow Auntie KC on a cosmic journey as an idea turns into a story!

Inspiration Strikes

Ideas can pop up anywhere, stargazing, walking the dog, eating a sandwich, or even during a chilly lecture at the North Pole!

Scribble & Plan

Once an idea appears, KC grabs a notebook and scribbles down words, doodles, and notes to see where the story might go.

Puzzle & Plot

Next, she works out the tricky bits, puzzles, problems, or adventures her characters need to solve, making sure the story is exciting and full of surprises.

Storytime Magic

Finally, KC puts it all together, turning her notes into stories packed with fun, imagination, and a dash of space adventure ready for young readers to explore! Then it’s time to send Zoe an intergalactic email!

About The Illustrator

Zoe has loved art for as long as she can remember — from messy finger painting as a little one to doodling in the margins of her school books. Her passion for drawing and storytelling grew alongside her, eventually leading her to study illustration at the University of Lincoln, where she fell in love with the magic of bringing stories to life through pictures. Zoe now works as a children’s book illustrator, creating colourful, whimsical worlds full of characters, adventures, and little surprises for young readers to discover.

Based in the U.K. with her husband, Zoe surrounds herself with far too many books, endless cups of tea, and her two mischievous border collies, Misty and Sian, who sometimes supervise her work… or just nap on the job! For Zoe, every illustration is a chance to inspire imagination, spark curiosity, and share a love of storytelling that enchanted her as a child.

A close-up view of an astronaut's bootprint in the lunar soil, photographed with a 70mm lunar surface camera during the Apollo 11 extravehicular activity (EVA) on the moon. While astronauts Neil A. Armstrong, commander, and Edwin E. Aldrin Jr., lunar module pilot, descended in the Lunar Module (LM) "Eagle" to explore the Sea of Tranquility region of the moon, astronaut Michael Collins, command module pilot, remained with the Command and Service Modules (CSM) "Columbia" in lunar orbit. Image Credit: NASA
Apollo Astronaut James B. Irwin, lunar module pilot, works at the Lunar Roving Vehicle during the first Apollo 15 lunar surface extravehicular activity (EVA) at the Hadley-Apennine landing site. The shadow of the Lunar Module "Falcon" is in the foreground. This view is looking northeast, with Mount Hadley in the background. This photograph was taken by astronaut David R. Scott, commander. Image Credit: NASA
NASA's Galileo spacecraft took this image of Earth's Moon on Dec. 7, 1992, on its way to explore the Jupiter system in 1995-97. The distinct bright ray crater at the bottom of the image is the Tycho impact basin. Image Credit: NASA

Fun Facts about Zoe

Secret Star

Zoe is a performer at heart! She loves a good story so much that she spent three years bringing them to life on stage, including a role as Sleepy the Dwarf in Snow White. She still adores theatre trips today, especially musicals!

Creative Roots

Zoe studied illustration at the University of Lincoln, graduating from the stunning Lincoln Cathedral. One of her favourite places to work was a converted chapel in the illustration building, a space full of light, inspiration, and just a touch of magic.

Global Storytelling

Zoe works with authors all around the world, helping bring their stories to life. She’s illustrated over 50 books so far, and keeps track of her authors’ different time zones with eight clocks on her desktop, a real-life mission control for storytelling!

Dog Devotee

She shares her home with two lively border collies. Misty, the ever-dutiful “receptionist,” and Sian, head of the “complaints department.” Between their zoomies and cuddles, they keep Zoe’s days full of laughter (and occasionally distraction!).

Behind the scenes!

Ever wondered how a book illustration comes to life? Follow Zoe on a cosmic journey as a drawing goes from a rough idea to a full-colour page!

Concept Sketch

It all starts with a rough sketch. Lines, shapes, and ideas swirl across the page like a mini space storm. This is where the story begins to take shape.

Polished Sketch

Next, the sketch gets tidied up. Characters’ expressions, poses, and details start to sparkle, and the scene starts to feel real.

Colour Tests

Time to add some magic! Zoe experiments with colours and checks the contrast until everything feels just right.

Final Illustration

The rocket lands! The finished page is vibrant, detailed, and ready to jump into the story, full of surprises for young readers to discover.

Follow Zoe online to stay up to date with her latest drawing, projects and dog pics!

Visit Zoe's Website

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