Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow, M.S.Ed, is a Philadelphia-based educator and childrenโs book author. A curriculum writer and former English teacher, she has educated children and teens in traditional and alternative learning settings for 15 years. As an inaugural AMAL fellow with the Muslim Anti-Racism Collaborative (MuslimARC), she developed foundational curricular frameworks for youth and adult anti-racist programming. Her picture books and short stories, which feature young Black and Muslim protagonists, have been recognized as the best in childrenโs literature by TIME magazine, Read Across America, and NPR. These works include Mommyโs Khimar, Once Upon an Eid (anthology contributor), Grounded (coauthor), Your Name Is a Song, Abdulโs Story, and Hold Them Close. Shahrzad Maydani is an illustrator of Iranian-English descent, raised in Niger and Kenya. Her debut childrenโs book, Poetree, received the Crystal Kite Award and was a Spring 2019 Kidsโ Indie Next selection. She lives with her family in California.