Thanks for The Book That Almost Rhymed

Five years after my last book, The Book That Almost Rhymed is finally here!

I was waiting for some kind of sign or opportunity to thank everyone who contributed to this book. In longer novels, the author often gets a page or two to thank everyone. But picture books don't often get the same luxury. So, instead, I'll use this space to give my thanks.

Getting published is a game of chance. You have to write the right book, get it in front of the right agent and the right editor, who convince enough people that it's worth a shot. Every step along the way, there are chances for the book to fail or succeed. So, first and foremost, I owe praise and thanks to God for allowing this book to be completed. Additionally, I owe my thanks to:

• Connor Eck, my outstanding agent at The Eck Agency and Lucinda Literary. Connor was one of the first people to validate my writing by offering to represent me. I'm so thankful for his expertise. Even after we faced challenges with our first project together, Connor eagerly advocated for The Book That Almost Rhymed.
• Jessica Garrison, my superstar editor at Dial / Penguin Random House. When Jessica expressed interest in The Book That Almost Rhymed, the story was almost unrecognizable from what it is right now. Jess saw the diamond in the rough and had the insight to extract the most from this story. It astounds me that her name isn't recognized in the book, because this story would not be celebrated like it is today without her expert advice.
• The entire team at Dial and Penguin Random House, including Rosie Ahmed, Squish Pruitt, Tessa Meisheid, Sierra Pregosin, and others. Their early contributions, behind-the-scenes support, and constant championing of this story allowed it to be successful. There are likely many others at PRH who contributed to this book behind the scenes who I'll never even know, and I thank you all.
• All my advocates at KidLitSoul, PB23Bunch, Story Sunbirds, and the wider online community. I've met so many fantastic people through this book. Without knowing me prior, many of you championed my book and sang its praises, and I'm so thankful for you. I wish I could mention you all by name, but there were so many amazing people genuinely committed to my success that I'm sure I'll miss someone. Just know that if you ever posted about The Book That Almost Rhymed or messaged me that you were excited about the book, I am thankful for you.
• My siblings, who inspired this book. Others cherish this book for the sibling relationship, but what's funny to me is that I focused so much on the (almost) rhyme that the sibling relationship didn't initially jump out to me as the central jewel in the story. I think I gloss over the sibling stuff because it is so engrained in me that I don't even recognize it anymore. You don't recognize the pieces of you that slide beneath the surface, existing consistently every day, and that's what my siblings are to this book. You are the consistent thread that makes this story effortless.
• Hatem Aly, the champion illustrator who captured the  essence of the story more beautifully than I could've imagined. When I was paired with you for this book, I was naive and fresh in this industry, unaware how lucky I was to be paired with someone so established and respected as an artist. A great artist is one thing, but a great person is even more valuable. You've been kind and generous with your time, and I'm thankful that this story gave me the opportunity to know you.
• My family, who showed genuine passion for this story every step along the way. (Except when I hinted at quitting my job and writing full-time.... One day, Mama and Arkann.)
• Noah, my son who received this book's dedication. I started writing this story when Noah was born, during COVID lockdowns. Now, he is four years old, and just the right target audience for this book. As it grew and evolved, so did he. He saw it go from mumbled, disjointed rhymes to the rough sketches we admired on my phone to the physical copies we all hold in our hands today. He was my test audience (even if he didn't know it).

Finally, thank you to all the readers who will continue to celebrate this book once they have the pleasure of reading it. I have already seen the joy that this story can invoke in children, and I hope to experience more of that with you as you experience this book. In particular, I am constantly inspired by the children of Palestine, and hope that I can, one day, share this book with them and see the joy on their faces, inspiring them to create and tell their stories as they have inspired me to tell mine. Success can have a compounding impact. When one of us succeeds, we open the door for others to follow in our footsteps and achieve their own success. I hope the existence of this story inspires others as you have inspired me.