Festival Artist/Author/Performer

Juana Martinez-Neal

Author Juana Martinez

Juana Martinez-Neal es autora e ilustradora de libros infantiles. Se crió en Perú donde, siendo hija y nieta de artistas, estudió pintura. Su premio más reciente es la Medalla Siebert del 2020 para Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story, escrito por Kevin Noble Maillard. Alma and How She Got Her Name fue su debut como autora e ilustradora, y fue nombrado como un Libro de Honor Caldecott en el 2019 y también recibió mención honorífica para la escritora del Premio Ezra Jack Keats ese mismo año. También está disponible en español bajo el título Alma y cómo obtuvo su nombre. Otro libro, La Princesa and the Pea, escrito por Susan Middleton Elya, ganó la Medalla para Ilustración Pura Belpré en el 2018. Ella ahora vive en Connecticut con su familia.


Juana Martinez-Neal is a children’s book author and illustrator. She grew up in Perú where, being the daughter and granddaughter of artists, she studied painting. Her most recent award was the 2020 Sibert Medal for Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story, written by Kevin Noble Maillard. Alma and How She Got Her Name was her debut book as author and illustrator, and it was a 2019 Caldecott Honor book and a 2019 Ezra Jack Keats Award Writer Honor. It is also available in Spanish as Alma y cómo obtuvo su nombre. Another book, La Princesa and the Pea, written by Susan Middleton Elya, won the 2018 Pura Belpré Medal for Illustration. She lives in Connecticut with her family.

Having the access to books that reflected a life similar to what I aspired to represent made me the author-illustrator that I am today. Libraries brought those books to my hands in this country. Books gives us empathy and open worlds to and for us. Libraries make us better people.


Book cover for Alma and How She Got Her Name
Alma and How She Got Her Name
Martinez-Neal, Juana

Alma doesn’t appreciate her long name until she learns about how it connects her to her family’s history.


Alma siente que su nombre es demasiado largo hasta que su papá le explica la conexión con  sus antepasados.


Book cover for La Selva de Zonia
La Selva de Zonia
Martinez-Neal, Juana


Book cover for Tomatoes for Neela
Tomatoes for Neela
Lakshmi, Padma


Book cover for Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story
Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story
Maillard, Kevin Noble

Experience the diverse cultures of Native Americans today through fry bread, which represents different facets of everyday indigenous life: joy, tragedy, and everything in between. The author is a member of the Seminole Nation and includes his family fry bread recipe along with notes that address and dispel stereotypes, along with facts about Native peoples from yesterday and the modern day.

 


Festival Titles

  • A Mango in the Hand: A Story Told Through Proverbs

    A Mango in the Hand: A Story Told Through Proverbs

    Sacre, Antonio

    Francisco’s birthday brings lots of lessons in this family-centered story from Antonio Sacre.

  • Aguas Frescas and Paletas: Refreshing Mexican Drinks and Frozen Treats, Traditional and Reimagined

    Aguas Frescas and Paletas: Refreshing Mexican Drinks and Frozen Treats, Traditional and Reimagined

    Sánchez, Ericka
  • Amor Is To Love You

    Amor Is To Love You

    Jaramillo, Susie
  • Ander & Santi Were Here

    Ander & Santi Were Here

    Garza Villa, Jonny
  • Barbacoa, Bomba, and Betrayal

    Barbacoa, Bomba, and Betrayal

    Reyes, Raquel V.
  • Calypso, Corpses, and Cooking

    Calypso, Corpses, and Cooking

    Reyes, Raquel V.
  • Canto Contigo

    Canto Contigo

    Garza Villa, Jonny
  • El ajolote: biología del anfibio más sobresaliente del mundo

    El ajolote: biología del anfibio más sobresaliente del mundo

    Cota Hiriart, Andrés.
  • El atrapasueños

    El atrapasueños

    Verdad, Marcelo
  • El barrilito mágico de Papá

    El barrilito mágico de Papá

    Trejo, Jesús

    El pequeño Jesús está emocionado de pasar un sábado con su papá paisajista en el “negocio familiar”.

  • El peor teddy del mundo

    El peor teddy del mundo

    Verdad, Marcelo

    El pobre Noa solamente quiere jugar con su osito de peluche, Teddy, ¡pero Teddy siempre está muy cansado!

  • Esperanza Caramelo, la estrella de Nochebuena

    Esperanza Caramelo, la estrella de Nochebuena

    Valenti, Karla

    Karla Valenti triunfa con este cuento perfecto para las fiestas navideñas que trata de una pastelería en la cual un toque de magia logra

  • Esperanza Caramelo: The Star of Nochebuena

    Esperanza Caramelo: The Star of Nochebuena

    Valenti, Karla
  • Family Lore

    Family Lore

    Acevedo, Elizabeth
  • I Am Salsa.

    I Am Salsa.

    Azúa Kramer, Jackie.
  • Inheritance: A Visual Poem

    Inheritance: A Visual Poem

    Acevedo, Elizabeth
  • Los más pequeños: a sing-along book in English and Spanish

    Los más pequeños: a sing-along book in English and Spanish

    Nathalia
  • Madame Cuc: la dueña del paraíso

    Madame Cuc: la dueña del paraíso

    Hiriart, Andrés Cota
  • Magia: en una tierra muy lejana

    Magia: en una tierra muy lejana

    Ortega, Mirelle

    Libro de Honor de los Premios Purá Belpré en ilustración.

  • Magic: Once Upon a Faraway Land

    Magic: Once Upon a Faraway Land

    Mirelle Ortega
  • Mamá's magnificent dancing plantitas

    Mamá's magnificent dancing plantitas

    Trejo, Jesús.
  • Mani Semilla Finds Her Quetzal Voice

    Mani Semilla Finds Her Quetzal Voice

    Lapera, Anna
  • Margaret y la flor de la luna

    Margaret y la flor de la luna

    Cameron
  • Mexikid

    Mexikid

    Martin, Pedro
  • Mexikid: A Graphic Memoir

    Mexikid: A Graphic Memoir

    Martin, Pedro
  • Mi papá es un agrícola/My Father, The Farmworker

    Mi papá es un agrícola/My Father, The Farmworker

    Varela, J. Roman Perez

    Bellamente ilustrada con los colores de la Madre Tierra y contada desde la perspectiva de un hijo orgulloso, esta conmovedora historia no

  • Monarca: a novel

    Monarca: a novel

    Gout, Leopoldo
  • My Name is Cool

    My Name is Cool

    Sacre, Antonio

    Another hit for award-winning author and storyteller Antonio Sacre! Learn how Mr.

  • Origen

    Origen

    Cardozo, Nat
  • Papá's Magical Water-jug Clock

    Papá's Magical Water-jug Clock

    Trejo, Jesús

    Jesús Trejo delivers a charming, semi-autobiographical story of working alongside his papá, a landscaper.

  • Piñata

    Piñata

    Gout, Leopoldo
  • Piñata

    Piñata

    Gout, Leopoldo
  • Rio de mariposas

    Rio de mariposas

    Ortega, Mirelle

    Una niña sueña con las mariposas amarillas que antes poblaban Veracruz y está decidida a recrear su esplendor, aún si significa hacerlas

  • River of Mariposas

    River of Mariposas

    Ortega, Mirelle
  • Sabiduría familiar

    Sabiduría familiar

    Acevedo, Elizabeth

    Elizabeth Acevedo, ganadora con el National Book Award, regresa con su primera novela para un público adulto: una magnífica oda a la sabi

  • Spicy Salsas & Moles: A Cookbook for Lovers of Mexican Heat

    Spicy Salsas & Moles: A Cookbook for Lovers of Mexican Heat

    Sanchez, Ericka
  • Sumo Libre

    Sumo Libre

    Cepeda, Joe

    Max and Kenji go from friendship to feud when they can’t agree on whether lucha libre or sumo is the superior sport until they realize th

  • Taco USA: How Mexican Food Conquered America

    Taco USA: How Mexican Food Conquered America

    Arellano, Gustavo
  • Te quiero, mamá

    Te quiero, mamá

    Jaramillo, Susie
  • Thank You, gracias

    Thank You, gracias

    Jaramillo, Susie
  • The Best Worst Camp Out Ever

    The Best Worst Camp Out Ever

    Cepeda, Joe
  • The Dream Catcher

    The Dream Catcher

    Verdad, Marcelo
  • The SalviSoul Cookbook: Salvadoran Recipes & the Women Who Preserve Them

    The SalviSoul Cookbook: Salvadoran Recipes & the Women Who Preserve Them

    Vasquez, Karla Tatiana
  • The Worst Teddy Ever

    The Worst Teddy Ever

    Verdad, Marcelo
  • This is Me Trying

    This is Me Trying

    Marie, Racquel
  • Ultraviolet

    Ultraviolet

    Salazar, Aida
  • When Angels Sing: The Story of Rock Legend Carlos Santana

    When Angels Sing: The Story of Rock Legend Carlos Santana

    Mahin, Michael James
  • When Moon Blooms

    When Moon Blooms

    Salazar, Aida
  • You Don't Have a Shot

    You Don't Have a Shot

    Marie, Racquel
  • ¡Buen provecho!: Traditional Mexican Flavors From my Cocina to Yours

    ¡Buen provecho!: Traditional Mexican Flavors From my Cocina to Yours

    Sánchez, Ericka

Los Angeles Libros Festival is presented by:

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