W. Nikola-Lisais the author of numerous children's picture books, includingStorm,illustrated by Michael Hays,No Babies Asleep,illustrated by Peter Palagonia, andTill Year's Good End,illustrated by Christopher Manson.The idea forHallelujah!came to Mr. Nikola-Lisa while he was doing research forTill Year's Good End,a book explaining the medieval labors of the months. As he perused several medieval images of the infant Jesus, the majority of which depicted a fair-skinned child, Mr. Nikola-Lisa began to wonder how people of other racial and ethnic backgrounds both portrayed and celebrated this icon of the Christian faith.Mr. Nikola-Lisa and his family live in Chicago, Illinois.