Pura Belpré Honor-Winning Author
Mariana Llanos is not a vampire, but just like Vampirita, she’s from Lima, Perú. After she moved to Oklahoma in 2002, Mariana began writing in English. Since 2013 she hasn’t stopped publishing books in both English and Spanish. Her latest works include Luca’s Bridge/El Puente de Luca (Penny Candy Books 2019, 2020 ALSC Notable Book), Eunice and Kate (Penny Candy Books 2019), and Run Little Chaski! (Barefoot Books 2021, JLG Gold Standard Selection, Oklahoma Book Awards Finalist). Mariana believes the love for reading is contagious and she’s visited over 200 schools around the world thanks to virtual technology. She’s the co-founder of LatinxPitch, a Twitter event that looks to boost the representation of Latino creators in children’s literature. Vampirita is Mariana’s first chapter book series. Just like Vampirita, she misses the grim gray skies of Lima but has learned to make some friends.
Laura is an illustrator from Spain. She works all day illustrating children's books and creating animations in her house. In addition, she loves her dog Lena, a good cup of hot chocolate, and visiting ancient palaces with their beautiful gardens.
