Star author: Nadiya Hussain is the most famous winner of the hit program, The Great British Baking Show. Since the show rocketed her to stardom, she’s gone on to host and cohost a number ofsuccessful shows, including Netflix’s Nadiya’s Time to Eat and Nadiya Bakes, as well as some high-profilebaking projects—including baking Queen Elizabeth II’s ninetieth birthday cake!

Empowering read: It’s often hard to know how to stand up for yourself, but particularly if you’re a shy kid on the playground. Nadiya shows how to dig deep for the confidence in yourself so you can hold your head high and brush off the haters—without ever sending the message that the onus to deal with bullies should be on the bullied. She finds just the right balance of not placing responsibility on a victim’s shoulders, but showing them how to find their inner tiger when faced with unkindness, and an unfair situation.

Resonating in this space: We saw lovely reviews for My Monster and Me, highlighting how perfectly Nadiya speaks to complex emotional topics for young readers; her approach creates a safe space for kids free of judgment, while providing useful tools for navigating the world. She’s building a name for herself in this SEL space, where gatekeepers can trust her to guide readers to embrace their fullest, happiest, healthiest selves.

Window for others: This is also a great way to show kids how much mean words can affect their peers; especially at this age, kids don’t always have the experience to know how powerful words can be, but this reinforces that leading with kindness is best.

Adorable art: With her adorable, super kid-friendly illustrations, Ella Bailey has once again made Nadiya’s books accessible for even the youngest readers out there!

NADIYA HUSSAIN’s delicious bakes and sparkling personality made her a hugely pop­ular winner of The Great British Baking Show. She is the author of Nadiya’s Bake Me a Story, which was shortlisted for a British Book Award, and its follow-ups, Bake Me a Festive Story and Bake Me a Celebration Story. She has also published cookbooks and novels for adults, and has many television series to her name, including The Chronicles of Nadiya, Nadiya’s Asian Odyssey, Nadiya’s Family Favourites, Nadiya’s Time to Eat, and Nadiya Bakes.



Follow her at nadiyahussain.com and @BegumNadiya.



Author Residence: Milton Keynes, England

ELLA BAILEY is a freelance illustrator based in Nottingham in the UK. Since graduat­ing with a degree in illustration from Falmouth University, Ella has worked with Simon and Schuster UK and Flying Eye Books, as well as Magma for Laurence King.
 
You can find her at ellabailey.co.uk.
 

Illustrator Residence: Nottingham, UK

Praise for Today I’m Strong:

* “Perfect for a lap sit with a young child beginning school, but it’s equally well-suited to a classroom read and invites age-appropriate conversations about bullying and the importance of being kind in either context.”—BCCB, starred review

“British cooking personality Hussain continues to explore themes of social-emotional intelligence and self-awareness in this picture book that follows My Monster and Me (2019). Bailey’s illustrations are charmingly comforting, rounded, and soft.”—Kirkus Reviews