Hatem Aly is an Egyptian-born illustrator of the New York Times bestselling The Proudest Blue, written by Olympic medallist Ibtihaj Muhammad, and The Inquisitor's Tale, a Newbery Honor Book, as well as the bestselling Yasmin fiction series, written by Saadia Faruqi.

As a child, he would imagine shapes forming on the mosque's carpet if he stared down long enough, which then swiftly disappeared and transformed into beautiful patterns when he looked up. In My Mosque is full of those same beautiful patterns. Hatem lives in New Brunswick, Canada with his wife, son, and more pets than people.