The illustrations created by Rafael López bring diverse characters to children’s books and he works to produce and promote books that reflect and honor the lives of all young people.

His 2018 picture book release, The Day You Begin written by Jacqueline Woodson was a New York Times #1 Children’s Picture Books Bestseller and the recipient of the 2019 Jane Addams Children’s Book Award. Just Ask! Be Different, Be Brave, Be You, written by Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor focuses on differently abled kids working together to create a garden. The book is a #1 New York Times Children’s Picture Books Bestseller and won the American Library Association's 2020 Schneider Family Book Award.

Rafael López has received three Pura Belpré Award medals from the American Library Association for Dancing Hands: How Teresa Carreño Played the Piano for President Lincoln (2020) Drum Dream Girl (2016) and Book Fiesta! (2010). In addition he secured three Pura Belpré honors. Upcoming illustrated books in 2022 include The Year We Learned to Fly by Jacqueline Woodson released in January and The Little Book of Joy by His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu due out in September.

His illustrations for Bravo! Poems about Amazing Hispanics were honored with the 2017 Silver Medal from the Society of Illustrators New York Original Art Exhibition. The book Maybe Something Beautiful based on his own work reclaiming neighborhoods with community murals secured the 2017 Tomás Rivera Book Award. Additional children's books have received three Pura Belpré honors and two Américas Book Awards for illustration.

He created a series of 54 portraits for the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Latino. In 2022 he served as the first guest artist of the Smithsonian National Postal Museum giving workshops to children and families. He was asked by the Library of Congress to create the National Book Festival Poster in 2012, an event featuring best-selling authors, poets and illustrators on the National Mall in Washington D.C. He has created thirteen stamps for the United States Postal Service.

To learn more visit rafaellopez.com

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rafael_L%C3%B3pez_(illustrator_and_artist)

http://www.rafaellopez.com/blog/

Jessica Young grew up in Ontario, Canada. The same things make her happy now as when she was a kid: dancing, painting, music, digging in the dirt, picnics, reading, and writing. When she was little, she wanted to be a tap-dancing flight attendant/veterinarian, but she's changed her mind! The only thing she loves as much as writing is sharing the creative process with students.

Jessica’s award-winning picture books, early readers, and chapter books span a variety of reading levels and interests. They include I'll Meet You in Your Dreams, the Fairylight Friends early reader series, the Haggis and Tank Unleashed early chapter book series, My Blue is Happy, Play This Book and Pet This Book, A Wish is a Seed, the Finley Flowers chapter book series, Spy Guy the Not-So-Secret Agent, and her latest board book—Baby's Here!

Find out more about Jessica’s books and read what teachers are saying about Jessica’s virtual and in-person school visits at: www.jessicayoungbooks.com.