H. K. Boughazian, known as Kane, is a veteran CG animator and an award-winning author. He believes that uplifting stories have the power to give us the hope and strength we need to face life’s challenges and make the world a better place for all. An immigrant to the US – having fled civil war in Lebanon – and a descendant of Armenians who fled from the Ottoman empire, Kane brings a deeply human perspective to his writing. Kane's books are rooted in notions of equality – and that the similarities we share or the differences we embrace in others - will always overpower our fears and divisions. His middle-grade series - Hidden Gems - invites young readers ages 7-11 into a magical world divided between the Rocks and the Minerals. Book one, The Quest for the Great Diamond follows a young rock named Gem as she tries to uncover who she really is. And the second book, The Jewel of Skarn Island follows Opal as she searches for her missing mother. Kane's first picture book, Pip Goes Pop, is about a young kernel who has to embrace his true form. And Kane's second picture book, Max the Meteorite, is about a lost and lonely meteorite who must find a new home on Earth