Juanito Counts to Ten

Lee Merrill Byrd, novelist and publisher, was born and raised in New Jersey but has spent most of her life in the Southwest. Besides being an award-winning author, Lee is known as a pioneer in publishing children's bilingual books. She and her husband, poet Bobby Byrd, founded Cinco Puntos Press (now a Lee & Low imprint) in 1985. For their work, they received Cultural Freedom Fellowships for Excellence in Publishing from the Lannan Foundation; an Excellence in Publishing Award from the Border Regional Library Association; and a Lifetime Achievement Award from PubWest. Lee's children’s books include The Treasure on Gold Street, A Neighborhood Story; Juanito Counts to Ten; and Birdie’s Beauty Parlor. She also authored My Sister Disappears (SMU Press) Riley's Fire (Algonquin). Lee lives in El Paso, Texas.

Francisco Delgado, a fronterizo artist, was born in Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico in 1974. Throughout his life he has resided in both twin cities of El Paso, Texas, and Ciudad Juarez. Delgado's artworks reflect the United States and Mexican Border life and speak to the working class of the barrios. He attended the University of Texas at El Paso and received his MFA from the Yale School of Art. His paintings have appeared on book covers, in national art exhibits, and in private collections and community institutions. His picture books include ¡Si, Se Puede! / Yes We Can!; Juanito Counts to Ten; and Birdie's Beauty Parlor. Francisco and his wife Barbara have three children. Find him on the web at franciscodelgado.weebly.com.