Maisha Oso is the author of picture books Buster the Bully, My Hair Is a Book, Before the Ships, and the It’s Almost Time For… series, as well as the Venus Washington chapter book series. She writes stories to empower, entertain, and encourage emotional intelligence in young children. A former strategy and analytics professional from New York City, Maisha is currently working in her most challenging role to date: a stay-at-home mom of three tiny humans. Visit her at MaishaOso.com.

Courtney Lovett has a BFA in visual arts and animation from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. She works in different artistic disciplines, including illustration, character design, and animation. As a Black American and a native of the DC-Maryland-Virginia area, her work reflects her heritage and upbringing, focusing on perspectives that are often underrepresented or misrepresented in art and media. Visit her at CourtneyLovett.com.