Biographical note

Arlene Rosenfeld Schenker grew up in New York City. After receiving a degree in Child Development from Cornell University, she taught primary school in Brooklyn and then attended New York University Law School, receiving a Juris Doctor degree. Following a short career as an attorney, she worked as a divorce mediator and then committed her time to mentoring children, volunteering, community activism, and raising her two children. A book reviewer for the Sydney Taylor Shmooze blog, she is thrilled to debut as a picture book author with Call Me Gebyanesh. She has lived in Rochester, NY for 40 years. Gebyanesh Addisu immigrated with her family from Ethiopia to Israel when she was a child. Call Me Gebyanesh, her debut book, was based on her experiences in school. She graduated with honors from Hebrew University and is now completing her masters degree at Hebrew University in History (2024). She lives in Jerusalem, Israel. Chiara Fedele was born in Milan, where she attended art school and received a degree in Illustration at La Scuola del Fumetto. She has worked as a freelance illustrator since 2004 for Italian and international publishers. She uses a combination of mixed traditional media and digital art. She currently lives outside Milan with her family and pets.