Nikki Shannon Smith is the author of numerous books, ranging from picture books to young adult. Her work includes the Azaleah Lane chapter book series and five titles in Capstone’s multi-author historical fiction/adventure middle-grade series, Girls Survive. Nikki also wrote A Star Like Jesse Owens, a Smithsonian historical fiction title about the 1936 Olympics. Her forthcoming titles include Beautiful Colors (Random House/Little Golden Books, 2022) and additional board books in the Brown Baby Parade series. She is passionate about the authentic representation of all children and writes stories depicting the history and struggles of Black people as well as “Black joy.” She lives in Davis, California.