The story of Omar Mohamed begins in Dadaab Refugee Camp in North-Eastern Kenya, where he fled to with his brother, on a pastoralist's donkey, escaping the Somali civil war.
It was then that they were separated from their family and left in the wild to fend for themselves.
His love for books then began, after he enrolled in the camp's primary school with the help of his school headteacher, a Ugandan refugee.
He loved picture books that were issued by their teachers, however rare the occasion was.
During an interview with an international publication, Mohamed stated that it was difficult living in the refugee camp.
"We were not allowed to travel outside the camp and food distribution was every fifteen days and it was never enough," Mohamed revealed.
His book dubbed, 'When Stars Are Scattered' became a solace for him, as he began documenting his stay at the camp at his tender age. The book symbolized the comfort he got from watching the stars of the sky at Dadaab.
While at the camp, Mohamed and his brother were noticed by a U.N social worker, who helped facilitate their relocation to the United States while they were 15 and 13 years respectively.
In the United States, he got a job as a pool attendant. After one year, he went to the University of Arizona and studied International Development with an emphasis on Africa.
He met his co-author Victoria Jamieson while she was volunteering at Church World Service.
"I had a rough draft of my personal story already written. Once I met Victoria and gave her the rough draft, she read it and convinced me to do it as a graphic novel since that's what she does," he stated.
The book which targets middle schoolers was nominated in the 2020 National Book Awards for Young People's Literature. In September it was named a finalist in Publishers Weekly's annual Kid's Book Choice Awards in the graphic novel category.
Mohamed has since reconnected with his family and resettled in Pennsylvania.
