Vivian Ling has enjoyed a long career in Chinese language and literature. She has taught at Oberlin College and Indiana University and directed Chinese language programs in Taipei, Shanghai, Kunming, and Beijing. She is the author of numerous Chinese language textbooks and books, including The Field of Chinese Language Education in the U.S.: A Retrospective of the 20th Century. She also co-authored Essential Mandarin Chinese Grammar and Chinese Stories for Language Learners, both published by Tuttle.

Wang Peng has been on the faculty at Georgetown University since 2002, teaching various levels of Chinese language courses, including Business Chinese and Chinese for Heritage Learners. Formerly, she was the chief instructor at the Inter-University Program for Chinese Language Studies at Tsinghua University, as well as a visiting faculty member at Oberlin College and Brown University. She also co-authored Essential Mandarin Chinese Grammar and Chinese Stories for Language Learners, both published by Tuttle.

Illustrations by:
Yang Xi is an up-and-coming artist and illustrator in China. Her distinctive style can be characterized as an amalgamation of classical and contemporary, and Chinese and Western elements. She holds an MA from the College of Fine Arts at Nanjing Art Institute. While specializing in illustrations related to Chinese culture, she has an eye toward the sensibilities of a worldwide audience.