Maisha Oso is the author of Before the Ships: The Birth of Black Excellence, My Hair Is a Book, the It's Almost Time for… series, Buster the Bully, and the Venus Washington chapter book series. She writes stories that empower and entertain young readers while supporting emotional intelligence and self-expression, with humor and heart at the center. Her books have received multiple starred reviews, been named Best of the Year by several outlets, and earned a nomination for the NAACP Image Award. Her writing blends warmth and humor to create stories children return to again and again. A former strategy and analytics professional from New York City, Maisha spent several years living abroad in Africa and now calls Georgia home. When she is not writing, she can be found wrangling her three children, binge-watching an unhealthy amount of reality television, or singing along to the Hamilton soundtrack.