Ibtihaj Muhammad author page

Ibtihaj Muhammad biography

Ibtihaj Muhammad is an American author and Olympic sabre fencer. She is known for her work in children’s literature, particularly for books that reflect her experiences and identity. Muhammad competed for the United States in fencing and became the first American woman to compete in the Olympics wearing a hijab.

Her debut children’s picture book, The Proudest Blue: A Story of Hijab and Family, was published in 2019 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. The book was co-authored with S. K. Ali and illustrated by Hatem Aly. The Proudest Blue tells the story of two sisters on the first day one of them wears a hijab to school, drawing on Muhammad’s own experiences and aiming to provide representation for Muslim children.

Muhammad has also written a memoir for young readers, Proud: Living My American Dream, published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers in 2018. This adaptation of her adult memoir shares her journey as an athlete and her experiences growing up as a Black Muslim woman in the United States.

In 2021, Muhammad published the picture book The Kindest Red: A Story of Hijab and Friendship, again with S. K. Ali and illustrator Hatem Aly, through Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. This book continues the story of the sisters from The Proudest Blue, focusing on themes of kindness and identity.

The Proudest Blue: A Story of Hijab and Family was published in 2019.