Bilqis Abdul-Qaadir first picked up a basketball at the age of three, and she's been playing ever since. Living in a practicing Muslim household, as she grew older, Bilqis followed her religious beliefs. She began wearing a hijab, a traditional head covering for Muslim women, and practiced modesty on the court by covering all skin except her hands. Bilqis had a very successful high school career, scoring over 3,000 points and breaking both men's and women's scoring records in Massachusetts -- a record that was formerly held by Olympic Gold Medalist and 1999 WNBA All-Star, Rebecca Lobo. Bilqis played college basketball at the University of Memphis for four years, from 2009 to 2013, and graduated magna cum laude with a degree in exercise science. Her goal was to continue playing professionally in Europe, but the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) rule prohibiting head gear larger than five inches ended that dream. Unwilling to play without her hijab, Bilqis chose faith over basketball and became an advocate. Working alongside other Muslim players, Bilqis raised her voice for the next generation and effectively forced FIBA to uplift the ban.

Bilqis now works to pave the way for other Muslim women in sports. Her efforts include "Muslim Girls Hoop Too" -- an online campaign to raise awareness for Muslim women in sports, with an emphasis on female basketball players. Bilqis lives in Memphis, Tennessee, with her family. Lion on the Inside is her story. Judith Henderson is an Emmy Award-winning composer, author, illustrator and TV producer. She is the author of numerous books for children including AAAAlligator!, which was the winner of the 2021 Joan Betty Stuchner Award for Funniest Children's Book, was nominated for the 2022 Washington Children's Choice Picture Book Award and the 2022 Georgia State Book Award, and was included on the 2021 Cooperative Children's Book Centre Choice list. Judith also wrote the Big Words Small Stories series, which has launched as an animated TV show in Canada, Australia and Ireland. Judith lives in Montreal, Quebec.

Katherine Ahmed was born and raised in New York and converted to the Muslim faith as a teenager. She attended an arts high school in Florida and earned a BA at The New School. Before launching her career as an illustrator, Katherine was the manager of a multicultural Muslim Sunday School in New York City. In 2021, she was awarded the We Need Diverse Books Illustration Mentorship. Katherine was a contributing illustrator to The Reading Adventure and Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls: 100 Inspiring Young Changemakers, and has had her work published in Cricket magazine. Lion on the Inside is her first picture book. Katherine lives in New Jersey with her husband and two daughters.