Marzieh Abbas is a baker turned award-winning author. She loves adding magic to her creations, from a seven-layered rainbow cake to the books she writes for children all over the world. Her work is inspired by her Pakistani culture and Muslim heritage. Marzieh is a member of Julie Hedlund’s 12x12 Picture Book Challenge and a graduate of the Lyrical Language Lab and Children’s Book Academy. She is the author of the popular chapter book series Nadia and Nadir and the middle grade novel Aarzu All Around. A Dupatta Is… is her debut picture book and she has several upcoming board and picture books. She occasionally writes under the name Marzieh A. Ali. Marzieh enjoys learning new skills, jumping rope, sipping chai, and observing nature. She dreams of owning a talking parrot someday. But until then, she lives in Pakistan with her husband and children who inspire her daily. You can find her on the web at MarziehAbbas.com.

Anoosha Syed is a Pakistani-Canadian illustrator and character designer for animation, based in Texas. She graduated with a BFA in illustration at Ceruleum: Ecole d’arts Visuels in Lausanne, Switzerland. Bilal Cooks Daal is her first picture book.