Join us on the Bilingual Book Buddies Podcast as we sit down with Alda P. Dobbs, award-winning bilingual author of Barefoot Dreams of Petra Luna and the upcoming picture book The Giving Flower: The History of the Poinsettia(September release).

In this inspiring conversation, Alda shares:
Her journey from northern Mexico to San Antonio

How her background in physics and engineering shapes her storytelling
The power of connecting kids to history, culture, and community
The importance of helping young readers see how their own stories fit into the bigger picture

Whether you're a teacher, parent, writer, or book lover, you won't want to miss this episode full of heart, heritage, and hope.

About Alda P. Dobbs
Alda’s debut novel, Barefoot Dreams of Petra Luna (Sourcebooks), received a Pura Belpré Honor, was named an ALA Notable Book, and earned a spot on the Texas Bluebonnet Master List. Her upcoming picture book, The Giving Flower, explores the history and meaning behind the beloved poinsettia flower.

IG: @aldapdobbs

Facebook: Alda P. Dobbs

Listen & Subscribe:
YouTube | Spotify | Apple Podcasts

#BilingualBookBuddies #AldaPDobbs #BarefootDreamsOfPetraLuna #TheGivingFlower #BilingualBooks #LatinxAuthors #KidLit #PictureBooks #MiddleGrade

Meet Your Hosts:

Alicia Salazar – Mexican American children’s author and former elementary school teacher. Author of the Camila the Star series, Alicia crafts stories that empower young readers.

Website: alicia-salazar.com

Facebook: Alicia Salazar Author

Instagram: @albricias123

Claudia Sloan – Mexican American artist, author, and illustrator known for her whimsical children’s books like Grey Ghost Mischief and We Are The Valley!. Claudia’s work celebrates Latinx culture and wellness.

Website: claudia-sloan.com

Instagram: @claudia.sloan

Silvia López – Cuban American author and former children’s librarian. Silvia’s books, including Uno Más, One More: A Latino Retelling of an Old Scottish Ballad, and Queen of Tejano Music: Selena, highlight cultural heritage and diversity.

Website: silvialopezbooks.com

Instagram: @silvialopezbooks

Facebook: Silvia.Lopez.Writes

About Bilingual Book Buddies:

Bilingual Book Buddies is a podcast dedicated to celebrating bilingual children’s literature. Each episode features conversations with authors, illustrators, and many others involved in bringing bilingual books to life.

Don’t forget to subscribe and hit the notification bell to stay updated on future episodes!

Darlene holds an MFA in Creative Writing from UTEP and a BA in English with a minor in medical studies fromUH. Her work goes far beyond her books — she has written short stories for educational companies likeAccelerate Education and Teacher Created Materials, and she collaborated with Literary Safari to create an original commissioned text for a majoreducational publisher, set to release in January 2026.

Darlene is also the co-founder of LatinxPitch, an online pitch event empowering Latinx authors to showcase their stories and voices.

Don’t miss this episode where we discuss her writing journey, her work in education, and the importance of representation in children’s literature.

Contact Darlene P. Campos

Website: https://www.darlenepcampos.com

Contact form: https://www.darlenepcampos.com/contact

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/darlenepcampos

X (Twitter): https://x.com/DarleneCampos91

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DarlenePCampos/

Meet Your Hosts:

Alicia Salazar – Mexican American children’s author andformer elementary school teacher. Author of the Camila the Star series, Alicia crafts stories that empower young readers.

Website: alicia-salazar.com

Facebook: Alicia Salazar Author

Instagram: @albricias123

Claudia Sloan – Mexican American artist, author, andillustrator known for her whimsical children’s books like Grey Ghost Mischief and We Are The Valley!. Claudia’s work celebrates Latinx culture and wellness.

Website: claudia-sloan.com

Instagram: @claudia.sloan

Silvia López – Cuban American author and former children’slibrarian. Silvia’s books, including Uno Más, One More: A Latino Retelling of an Old Scottish Ballad, and Queen of Tejano Music: Selena, highlight cultural heritage and diversity.

Website: silvialopezbooks.com

Instagram: @silvialopezbooks

Facebook: Silvia.Lopez.Writes

About Bilingual Book Buddies:

Bilingual Book Buddies is a podcast dedicated tocelebrating bilingual children’s literature. Each episode features conversations with authors, illustrators, and many others involved in bringing bilingual books to life.

Don’t forget to subscribe and hit the notification bell tostay updated on future episodes!

Welcome to Bilingual Book Buddies! Join hosts Alicia Salazar, Claudia Sloan, and Silvia López as they sit down with award-winning Brazilian-American author and educator Ana Siqueira.

Ana shares her journey from teaching Spanish to writingbeloved children’s books like Bella’s Recipe for Success and If Your Babysitter Is a Bruja.

Discover how Ana’s multicultural experiences influence her storytelling and her commitment to promoting Latinx voices in children’s literature.

Connect with Our Guest:

Website: anafiction.com

Instagram: @asiqueira1307

Twitter: @SraSiqueira1307

Meet Your Hosts:

Alicia Salazar – Mexican American children’s author and former elementary schoolteacher. Author of the Camila the Star series, Alicia crafts stories that empower young readers.

Claudia Sloan – Mexican American artist, author, and illustrator known for her whimsical children’s books like Grey Ghost Mischief and We Are The Valley!. Claudia’s work celebrates Latinx culture and wellness.

Silvia López – Cuban American author and former children’s librarian. Silvia’s books, including Uno Más, One More: A Latino Retelling of an Old Scottish Ballad, and Queen of Tejano Music: Selena, highlight cultural heritage and diversity.

About Bilingual Book Buddies:

Bilingual Book Buddies is a podcast dedicated to celebrating bilingual children’sliterature. Each episode features conversations with authors, illustrators, andmany others involved in bringing bilingual books to life.

Don’t forget to subscribe and hit the notification bell to stay updated on futureepisodes!

#BilingualBookBuddies#AnaSiqueira #ChildrensBooks #LatinxAuthors #BilingualLiterature #Podcast

In this episode of BilingualBook Buddies, we sit down with the incredibly talented illustrator Olivia Sua! Known forher textured, painted cut-paper style and heartfelt storytelling, Olivia bringsa rich cultural perspective to children's books, inspired by her Colombian andSouth African roots.

We chat about her creative journey from the forests of North Bend,Washington to the world of award-winning picture books like Water Day by Margarita Engle. Olivia shares hownature, family, and multicultural identity shape her work—and what it means tomake magic out of paper, color, and imagination.

Tune in to hear about her creative process, recent honors(including the 2025 CCBC Best of the Year!), and what’s next in her artisticadventure.

Whether you're an illustrator, writer, or just a lover ofbeautiful books, this is a conversation you don’t want to miss!

Listen now and subscribe for more inspiringchats with bilingual book creators!

Connect with Our Guest:

Website: oliviasua.com

Instagram: @oliviasua

Meet Your Hosts:

Alicia Salazar – Mexican American children’s author andformer elementary school teacher. Author of the Camila the Star series, Aliciacrafts stories that empower young readers.

Website: alicia-salazar.com

Facebook: Alicia Salazar Author

Instagram: @albricias123

Claudia Sloan – Mexican American artist, author, andillustrator known for her whimsical children’s books like Grey Ghost Mischiefand We Are The Valley!. Claudia’s work celebrates Latinx culture and wellness.

Website: claudia-sloan.com

Instagram: @claudia.sloan

Silvia López – Cuban American author and former children’slibrarian. Silvia’s books, including Uno Más, One More: A Latino Retelling ofan Old Scottish Ballad, and Queen of Tejano Music: Selena, highlight culturalheritage and diversity.

Website: silvialopezbooks.com

Instagram: @silvialopezbooks

Facebook: Silvia.Lopez.Writes

About Bilingual Book Buddies:

Bilingual Book Buddies is a podcast dedicated tocelebrating bilingual children’s literature. Each episode featuresconversations with authors, illustrators, and many others involved in bringingbilingual books to life.

Don’t forget to subscribe and hit the notification bell tostay updated on future episodes!

#BilingualBookBuddies#OliviaSua #ChildrensBooks #IllustratorInterview #PictureBooks#LatinxIllustrator #WaterDay #CutPaperArt

In this powerful episode of Bilingual Book Buddies, we’re joined by Duncan Tonatiuh, award-winning author-illustrator whose distinctive work blends pre-Columbian art with modern-day themes like immigration, civil rights, and Latinx identity.

From Dear Primo to Undocumented: A Worker’s Fight to A Land of Books, Duncan’s stories reflect his deep commitment to representation, history, and social justice for children of all backgrounds—especially those navigating life between two cultures.

Connect with Duncan Tonatiuh:
Website: https://duncantonatiuh.com
Contact: info@duncantonatiuh.com

Don't miss this heart-opening conversation with one of today’s most important voices in bilingual and multicultural children’s literature.

Like, comment, and subscribe to support diverse storytelling!

#BilingualBookBuddies #DuncanTonatiuh #LatinxAuthors #BilingualBooks #PuraBelpré #KidLit #ChildrenBooks #MulticulturalBooks #IllustratorInterview #OwnVoices

Meet Your Hosts:

Alicia Salazar – Mexican American children’s author and former elementary school teacher. Author of the Camila the Star series, Alicia crafts stories that empower young readers.

• Website: alicia-salazar.com
• Facebook: Alicia Salazar Author
• Instagram: @albricias123

Claudia Sloan – Mexican American artist, author, and illustrator known for her whimsical children’s books like Grey Ghost Mischief and We Are The Valley!. Claudia’s work celebrates Latinx culture and wellness.

• Website: claudia-sloan.com
• Instagram: @claudia.sloan

Silvia López – Cuban American author and former children’s librarian. Silvia’s books, including Uno Más, One More: A Latino Retelling of an Old Scottish Ballad, and Queen of Tejano Music: Selena, highlight cultural heritage and diversity.

• Website: silvialopezbooks.com
• Instagram: @silvialopezbooks
• Facebook: Silvia.Lopez.Writes

About Bilingual Book Buddies:

Bilingual Book Buddies is a podcast dedicated to celebrating bilingual children’s literature. Each episode features conversations with authors, illustrators, and many others involved in bringing bilingual books to life.

Don’t forget to subscribe and hit the notification bell to stay updated on future episodes!

#BilingualBookBuddies #DuncanTonatiuh #ChildrensBooks #LatinxAuthors #BilingualLiterature #Podcast

In this powerful episode of Bilingual Book Buddies, we’re joined by Duncan Tonatiuh, award-winning author-illustrator whose distinctive work blends pre-Columbian art with modern-day themes like immigration, civil rights, and Latinx identity.

From Dear Primo to Undocumented: A Worker’s Fight to A Land of Books, Duncan’s stories reflect his deep commitment to representation, history, and social justice for children of all backgrounds—especially those navigating life between two cultures.

Connect with Duncan Tonatiuh:
Website: https://duncantonatiuh.com
Contact: info@duncantonatiuh.com

Don't miss this heart-opening conversation with one of today’s most important voices in bilingual and multicultural children’s literature.

Like, comment, and subscribe to support diverse storytelling!

#BilingualBookBuddies #DuncanTonatiuh #LatinxAuthors #BilingualBooks #PuraBelpré #KidLit #ChildrenBooks #MulticulturalBooks #IllustratorInterview #OwnVoices

Meet Your Hosts:

Alicia Salazar – Mexican American children’s author and former elementary school teacher. Author of the Camila the Star series, Alicia crafts stories that empower young readers.

• Website: alicia-salazar.com
• Facebook: Alicia Salazar Author
• Instagram: @albricias123

Claudia Sloan – Mexican American artist, author, and illustrator known for her whimsical children’s books like Grey Ghost Mischief and We Are The Valley!. Claudia’s work celebrates Latinx culture and wellness.

• Website: claudia-sloan.com
• Instagram: @claudia.sloan

Silvia López – Cuban American author and former children’s librarian. Silvia’s books, including Uno Más, One More: A Latino Retelling of an Old Scottish Ballad, and Queen of Tejano Music: Selena, highlight cultural heritage and diversity.

• Website: silvialopezbooks.com
• Instagram: @silvialopezbooks
• Facebook: Silvia.Lopez.Writes

About Bilingual Book Buddies:

Bilingual Book Buddies is a podcast dedicated to celebrating bilingual children’s literature. Each episode features conversations with authors, illustrators, and many others involved in bringing bilingual books to life.

Don’t forget to subscribe and hit the notification bell to stay updated on future episodes!

#BilingualBookBuddies #DuncanTonatiuh #ChildrensBooks #LatinxAuthors #BilingualLiterature #Podcast

In this episode of Bilingual Book Buddies, we sit down with award-winning Peruvian American author Mariana Llanos, whose bilingual books like Benita y las criaturas nocturnas and Run, Little Chaski! celebrate Peruvian folklore, Latinx identity, and the power of courage and kindness.

Mariana shares her journey from Lima to Oklahoma, how she began self-publishing, and what inspires her to create stories that bridge cultures and languages. You'll also get a sneak peek at her upcoming chapter book series, Vampirita and the Angry Mob!

Tune in for book talk, laughter, and wisdom from a true champion of bilingual storytelling.

Learn more: marianallanos.com
Follow Mariana: @marianawritestheworld on IG

Meet Your Hosts:

Alicia Salazar – Mexican American children’s author and former elementary school teacher. Author of the Camila the Star series, Alicia crafts stories that empower young readers.

• Website: alicia-salazar.com
• Facebook: Alicia Salazar Author
• Instagram: @albricias123

Claudia Sloan – Mexican American artist, author, and illustrator known for her whimsical children’s books like Grey Ghost Mischief and We Are The Valley!. Claudia’s work celebrates Latinx culture and wellness.

• Website: claudia-sloan.com
• Instagram: @claudia.sloan

Silvia López – Cuban American author and former children’s librarian. Silvia’s books, including Uno Más, One More: A Latino Retelling of an Old Scottish Ballad, and Queen of Tejano Music: Selena, highlight cultural heritage and diversity.

• Website: silvialopezbooks.com
• Instagram: @silvialopezbooks
• Facebook: Silvia.Lopez.Writes

About Bilingual Book Buddies:

Bilingual Book Buddies is a podcast dedicated to celebrating bilingual children’s literature. Each episode features conversations with authors, illustrators, and many others involved in bringing bilingual books to life.

Don’t forget to subscribe and hit the notification bell to stay updated on future episodes!

#BilingualBookBuddies #MarianaLlanos #ChildrensBooks #LatinxAuthors #PuraBelpré #BilingualBooks #PeruvianFolklore #PictureBooks #BookPodcast

In this episode of Bilingual Book Buddies, we sit down with award-winning Peruvian American author Mariana Llanos, whose bilingual books like Benita y las criaturas nocturnas and Run, Little Chaski! celebrate Peruvian folklore, Latinx identity, and the power of courage and kindness.

Mariana shares her journey from Lima to Oklahoma, how she began self-publishing, and what inspires her to create stories that bridge cultures and languages. You'll also get a sneak peek at her upcoming chapter book series, Vampirita and the Angry Mob!

Tune in for book talk, laughter, and wisdom from a true champion of bilingual storytelling.

Learn more: marianallanos.com
Follow Mariana: @marianawritestheworld on IG

Meet Your Hosts:

Alicia Salazar – Mexican American children’s author and former elementary school teacher. Author of the Camila the Star series, Alicia crafts stories that empower young readers.

• Website: alicia-salazar.com
• Facebook: Alicia Salazar Author
• Instagram: @albricias123

Claudia Sloan – Mexican American artist, author, and illustrator known for her whimsical children’s books like Grey Ghost Mischief and We Are The Valley!. Claudia’s work celebrates Latinx culture and wellness.

• Website: claudia-sloan.com
• Instagram: @claudia.sloan

Silvia López – Cuban American author and former children’s librarian. Silvia’s books, including Uno Más, One More: A Latino Retelling of an Old Scottish Ballad, and Queen of Tejano Music: Selena, highlight cultural heritage and diversity.

• Website: silvialopezbooks.com
• Instagram: @silvialopezbooks
• Facebook: Silvia.Lopez.Writes

About Bilingual Book Buddies:

Bilingual Book Buddies is a podcast dedicated to celebrating bilingual children’s literature. Each episode features conversations with authors, illustrators, and many others involved in bringing bilingual books to life.

Don’t forget to subscribe and hit the notification bell to stay updated on future episodes!

#BilingualBookBuddies #MarianaLlanos #ChildrensBooks #LatinxAuthors #PuraBelpré #BilingualBooks #PeruvianFolklore #PictureBooks #BookPodcast