Nevan and Ciaran Ryan are brothers born and raised in Toronto. While much of their youth was spent trying to inflict bodily harm on each other – don’t ask them about the 2013 Thanksgiving Day Football Classic – adulthood has been decidedly more peaceful and collaborative. 

Nevan began illustrating and painting at a young age and grew up to be an accomplished painter and advertising executive. Ciaran is a writer and works professionally as a market researcher. 

The inspiration behind “Sockmates and the Land of Lost Socks” came from the socks Nevan and Ciaran’s Grandma K would hand knit for each grandchild in the winter. While most of the socks matched, a few mismatched pairs would inevitably find their way into sock drawers. Nevan and Ciaran like to think it was Grandma K keeping them on their toes. Matched or unmatched, each pair was beautiful in their own way and great at keeping your toes warm. Grandma K’s socks spawned a series of paintings and then evolved into the book you’re holding now. 

This book is a lifelong dream of the Ryan brothers come true, and the first of a series of children's books they’re creating together.