Avril van der Merwe

Avril van der Merwe is the author of How Cheetah Got His Tears (Puffin Books, 2017), Once Upon a Rhinoceros (Puffin Books, 2018), and I Don’t Want to be a Hyena (Puffin Books, 2019), Don't Be Shy, Bushbaby (Puffin Books, 2021), as well as several prize-winning children’s stories set in Africa. She developed a love of illustrated children’s fiction during a decade working as a Montessori pre-primary teacher in Cape Town, and high school English teacher in Johannesburg. Avril grew up in South Africa, but now lives in Seattle, USA, where she works as an inspirational writer and speaker, while continuing to write children’s stories and adult fiction.