Areli Morales Romero was born in Puebla, Mexico, but was raised in New York City. She is a DACA recipient, and Areli Is a Dreamer is her debut children's book. A graduate of CUNY-Brooklyn College with a bachelor's degree in childhood bilingual education, she currently works as a substitute teacher. One day, Areli hopes to have her own classroom, where she can teach children to value the power of storytelling and empower them to share their own stories. She lives in Brooklyn, New York, with her family.

Luisa Uribe was awarded the Society of Illustrators Dilys Evans Founder's Award for The Vast Wonder of the World by Melina Mangal. She also illustrated Your Name Is a Song by Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow, which received a starred review from Kirkus Reviews, describing her work as "dynamic." She lives in Bogotá, Colombia, with her partner and two cats.

"A confident, heartfelt story.... Powerful in its cleareyed optimism." --Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"This beautifully illustrated picture book presents hardships that many undocumented children face when making the journey to America.... Highly recommended." --Booklist, starred review

"This book could be used in a social science class highlighting Areli's capacity to adapt and thrive as she navigates her new environment. It contains an author's note addressing the fragility of the DACA program and back matter with a glossary defining the Spanish language terms in the story...A moving biographical picture book." --School Library Journal

Publisher: Bound to Stay Bound Books

Pub date: 2021-06-08

Length: 40 pages