Raouf Mama is a Distinguished Professor of English at Eastern Connecticut State University. His books include Why Monkeys Live in Trees and Other Stories from Benin (2006), winner of the 2008 National Multicultural Children's Publication Award; The Barefoot Book of Tropical Tales (2000); Pearls of Wisdom (2001, with Mary Romney); and Why Goats Smell Bad (1998). Mama regularly travels to various parts of the world to work with teachers, education professionals, and children, using storytelling as a multicultural teaching and motivational tool. He has worked in partnership with UNICEF and the School of African Heritage in promoting education and cultural awareness through storytelling.