Press Kit
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Bio 50-word
Juana Martinez-Neal is the daughter and granddaughter of painters.
Alma and How She Got Her Name was her first book as author-illustrator. She is the recipient of a Caldecott Honor, a Sibert Medal and a Pura Belpré Medal for Illustration.
Juana was born in Peru, and lives in Connecticut with her family.
Bio 100-word
Juana Martinez-Neal is the recipient of the 2019 Caldecott Honor for Alma and How She Got Her Name (Candlewick Press), her debut picture book as author-illustrator. She also the recipient of the 2020 Robert F. Sibert Medal for Fry Bread: A Native American Story (Roaring Brook) and the 2018 Pura Belpré Medal for Illustration for La Princesa and the Pea (Putnam).
Juana was named to the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY) Honor list in 2014, and was awarded the SCBWI Portfolio Showcase Grand Prize in 2012. She was born in Lima, the capital of Peru, and now lives in Connecticut, with her husband and three children.
Bio 150-word
Juana Martinez-Neal is the recipient of the 2019 Caldecott Honor for Alma and How She Got Her Name (Candlewick Press), her debut picture book as author-illustrator. She also the recipient of the 2020 Robert F. Sibert Medal for Fry Bread: A Native American Story (Roaring Brook) and the 2018 Pura Belpré Medal for Illustration for La Princesa and the Pea (Putnam).
Juana is the illustrator of La Madre Goose (written by Susan M. Elya, Putnam/Penguin 2016), Babymoon (written by Hayley Barrett, Candlewick 2019) and Swashby and the Sea (written by Beth Ferry, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt 2020).
Juana was named to the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY) Honor list in 2014, and was awarded the SCBWI Portfolio Showcase Grand Prize in 2012. She was born in Lima, the capital of Peru, and now lives in Connecticut, with her husband and three children and two dogs.
Zonia’s Rainforest
La selva de Zonia
Alma and How She Got Her Name
Alma y cómo obtuvo su nombre
Babymoon
Laura Rivas
Candlewick Press
Swashby and the Sea
Zoe Del Mar
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story
Mary Van Akin
Macmillan
La Princesa and the Pea
La Madre Goose
Jennifer Dee
Penguin Random House
Click on images to open Dropbox link for high resolution file.
Click on images to open Dropbox link for high resolution file.
Alma and How She Got Her Name
★ 2019 Caldecott Honor
★ 2019 Ezra Jack Keats Award Writer Honor
★ 2019 NCTE Charlotte Huck Award for Outstanding Fiction for Children Recommended Title
★ 2019 ILA Children’s and Young Adults Book Award Honor
What’s in a name? For one little girl, her very long name tells the vibrant story of where she came from — and who she may one day be.
If you ask her, Alma Sofia Esperanza José Pura Candela has way too many names: six! How did such a small person wind up with such a large name? Alma turns to Daddy for an answer and learns of Sofia, the grandmother who loved books and flowers; Esperanza, the great-grandmother who longed to travel; José, the grandfather who was an artist; and other namesakes, too. As she hears the story of her name, Alma starts to think it might be a perfect fit after all — and realizes that she will one day have her own story to tell. In her author-illustrator debut, Juana Martinez-Neal opens a treasure box of discovery for children who may be curious about their own origin stories or names.
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- Publisher: Candlewick Press
- Release Date: April 10, 2018
- Author: Juana Martinez-Neal
- Illustrator: Juana Martinez-Neal
- Age Level: 4-8, 32 pages
- ISBN: 978-0-7636-9355-8
Alma y cómo obtuvo su nombre
★ 2019 Caldecott Honor
¿Cómo terminó Alma Sofia Esperanza José Pura Candela con un nombre tan largo? Mientras Papi le cuenta la historia de cada uno de sus nombres, Alma comienza a sentir cómo cabe perfectamente en ellos.
What’s in a name? For one little girl, her very long name tells the vibrant story of where she came from — and who she may one day be. Spanish language edition!
If you ask her, Alma Sofia Esperanza José Pura Candela has way too many names: six! Just think of how hard it is to fit them all on the back of a little photo. How did such a small person wind up with such a large name? Alma turns to Daddy for an answer and learns of Sofia, the grandmother who loved books and flowers; Esperanza, the great-grandmother who longed to travel; José, the grandfather who was an artist; and other namesakes too. As she hears the story of her name, Alma starts to think it might be a perfect fit after all — and realizes that she will one day have her own story to tell. In her author-illustrator debut, Juana Martinez-Neal opens a treasure box of discovery for children who may be curious about their own origin or name story.
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- Publisher: Candlewick Press
- Release Date: April 10, 2018
- Author: Juana Martinez-Neal
- Illustrator: Juana Martinez-Neal
- Age Level: 4-8, 32 pages
- ISBN: 978-0-7636-9358-9
Swashby and the Sea
From New York Times bestselling author Beth Ferry and Caldecott Honor–winner Juana Martinez-Neal comes a sweet-and-salty friendship story perfect for pirate-lovers and fans of The Night Gardener.
Captain Swashby loves the sea, his oldest friend. And he loves his life by the sea just as it is: salty and sandy and serene.
One day, much to Swashby’s chagrin, a young girl and her granny commandeer the empty house next door. All Swashby wants is for his new neighbors to GO AWAY and take their ruckus with them.
When Swashby begins to leave notes in the sand for his noisy neighbors, however, the beach interferes with the messages that are getting across. Could it be that the captain’s oldest friend, the sea, knows what Swashby needs even better than he knows himself?
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- Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
- Release Date: May 5, 2020
- Author: Beth Ferry
- Illustrator: Juana Martinez-Neal
- Age Level: 4-8, 32 pages
- ISBN: 978-0-544-70737-5
Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story
★ 2020 Robert F. Sibert Medal Award
★ 2020 AIYLA Picture Book Honor
★ 2020 Charlotte Zolotow Honor Book
★ 2020 NCTE Charlotte Huck Award – Recommended Book
Told in lively and powerful verse by debut author Kevin Noble Maillard, Fry Bread is an evocative depiction of a modern Native American family, vibrantly illustrated by Caldecott Honor winner Juana Martinez-Neal.
Fry bread is food.
It is warm and delicious, piled high on a plate.
Fry bread is time.
It brings families together for meals and new memories.
Fry bread is nation.
It is shared by many, from coast to coast and beyond.
Fry bread is us.
It is a celebration of old and new, traditional and modern, similarity and difference.
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- Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
- Release Date: October 22, 2019
- Author: Kevin Noble Maillard
- Illustrator: Juana Martinez-Neal
- Age Level: 3-6, 48 pages
- ISBN: 978-1-626-72746-5
Babymoon
In a perfect gift for new and expectant parents (and siblings), a gentle story pays tribute to the wonder and emotion of a family’s first quiet days with a newborn.
The house is hushed. The lights are low.
We’re basking in a newborn glow.
Inside the cozy house, a baby has arrived! The world is eager to meet the newcomer, but there will be time enough for that later. Right now, the family is on its babymoon: cocooning, connecting, learning, and muddling through each new concern. While the term “babymoon” is often used to refer to a parents’ getaway before the birth of a child, it was originally coined by midwives to describe days like these: at home with a newborn, with the world held at bay and the wonder of a new family constellation unfolding. Paired with warm and winsome illustrations by Juana Martinez-Neal, Hayley Barrett’s lyrical ode to these tender first days will resonate with new families everywhere.
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- Publisher: Candlewick Press
- Release Date: April 2, 2019
- Author: Hayley Barrett
- Illustrator: Juana Martinez-Neal
- Age Level: 2-5, 32 pages
- ISBN: 978-0-763-68852-3
La Princesa and the Pea
★ 2018 Pura Belpré Winner for Illustration
The Princess and the Pea gets a fresh twist in this charming bilingual retelling, winner of the Pura Belpré Medal for Illustration.
El príncipe knows this girl is the one for him, but, as usual, his mother doesn’t agree.
The queen has a secret test in mind to see if this girl is really a princesa, but the prince might just have a sneaky plan, too . . .
Readers will be enchanted by this Latino twist on the classic story, and captivated by the vibrant art inspired by the culture of Peru.
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- Publisher: Putnam
- Release Date: September 5, 2017
- Author: Susan Middleton Elya
- Illustrator: Juana Martinez-Neal
- Age Level: 4-8, 32 pages
- ISBN: 978-0-399-25156-6
La Madre Goose: Nursery Rhymes for los Niños
Classic favorites get a modern Latino twist
The itsy arañita
climbed up the water spout.
Down came la lluvia
and washed la araña out.
Classic Mother Goose rhymes get a Latino twist in this cozy collection. From young Juan Ramón sitting in el rincón to three little gatitos who lost their mitoncitos, readers will be delighted to see familiar characters in vibrant, luminous scenes brimming with fanciful details.
La Madre Goose will make a playful multicultural addition to every modern bookshelf.
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- Publisher: Putnam
- Release Date: July 19, 2016
- Author: Susan Middleton Elya
- Illustrator: Juana Martinez-Neal
- Age Level: 4-8, 32 pages
- ISBN: 978-0-763-68852-3
