Aliya King Neil is an award-winning journalist and the author and coauthor of books for teens and adults. Her work has appeared in Vibe, Giant, Uptown, Essence, King, Ms., Us Weekly, and Teen People, among others. Keep Your Head Up is her first picture book. Visit her at AliyaSKing.com. Charly Palmer, a graduate of the American Academy of Art, is a nationally recognized fine artist whose work is in private and public collections, including those of McDonald's Corporation, the Coca-Cola Company, and Vanderbilt University. His illustrative work for Mama Africa! earned him the 2018 Coretta Scott King Illustrator of the Year award. Palmer's art is inspired by his children and grandchildren. He lives in Atlanta, Georgia.