"Melissa Cannioto is an artist, adventurer and chatterbox who has been writing stories from an early age. A British native, she has travelled the world seeking new experiences and now resides in Florida with her Air Force pilot husband. 2020 and 2021 have been difficult years for so many, and Melissa hopes she can help young readers navigate their pandemic experiences in The Bear and the Hug, her first children’s book. Melissa misses her family back home in England, and wishes she could give them her own big hug"