Margarita Engle is a Cuban American poet and novelist whose work has been published in many countries. Her many acclaimed books include Silver People, The Lightning Dreamer, The Wild Book, and The Surrender Tree, a Newbery Honor Book. She is a several-time winner of the Pura Belpré and Américas Awards as well as other prestigious honors. She lives with her husband in Northern California. For more information, visit margaritaengle.com.

Rafael López grew up in Mexico City, where he was immersed in the rich cultural heritage and color of street life. He is the bestselling illustrator of many vibrant picture books, including the acclaimed Drum Dream Girl: How One Girl’s Courage Changed Music by Margarita Engle and Maybe Something Beautiful: How Art Transformed a Neighborhood by F. Isabel Campoy and Theresa Howell. He has received the Pura Belpré and Américas Awards multiple times. Rafael López also designs and creates community-based murals nationwide. He divides his time between San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, and San Diego, California.