When Estela Juarez was 8 years old, her mother, Alejandra, was deported to Mexico. It was then that Estela transformed her love of writing in her diary into writing letters to her local newspaper, to Congress, and to the president. The momentum built, and her Congressman decided to step in to help. Estela's story was featured at the 2020 Democratic National Convention, inspiring the whole country. In 2021, her mother received temporary permission to return to her family. Now 12 years old, Estela still loves writing in her diary. She also enjoys making her family laugh, reading books from the library, going for long walks with her mom and dad, Cuauhtemoc, near their home in Florida, and hanging out with her big sister Pamela. Estela hopes to one day become an immigration lawyer and a Congresswoman to advocate for the unification of separated families.
Teresa Martinez grew up in a small town north of Mexico, playing in the river, walking with the cows, and feeding the neighbor's pigs. When her family decided to move to a bigger city, she became very shy, but drawing helped her connect with other children. Later, Teresa studied Graphic Design and learned traditional painting techniques in Italy. Today, she lives in Puerto Vallarta, happily drawing for kids as she did during her school days. Her books include The Little Girl with the Big Voice and The Halloween Tree.
