Biographical note

Hatem Aly is an Egyptian-born illustrator whose work has been featured in multiple publications worldwide. He currently lives in beautiful New Brunswick, Canada, with his wife, son, and more pets than people. When he is not dipping cookies in a cup of tea or staring at blank pieces of paper, he is usually drawing books. One of the books he illustrated is The Inquisitor's Tale by Adam Gidwitz, which won a Newbery Honor and other awards despite Hatem’s drawings of a farting dragon, a two-headed cat, and stinky cheese. Saadia Faruqi is a Pakistani American writer, interfaith activist, and cultural sensitivity trainer featured in O, The Oprah Magazine. She is the author of the Yasmin and Ali the Great series, and the Eisner award-nominated graphic novel Saving Sunshine. She also writes chapter books, picture books, and middle grade novels. Saadia is editor-in-chief of Blue Minaret, an online magazine of poetry, short stories, and art. She lives in Houston, Texas, with her family.