Category: 2026
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Angela Dominguez
Angela Dominguez was born in Mexico City and grew up in North Texas. She now resides on the East Coast with her boyfriend, Kyle, and their petite dog, Petunia. She is also the author and illustrator of several books for children, including the beloved Stella Díaz and Lolo and Birdie series. She is also a…
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Federico Erebia
Federico Erebia is a Lambda Literary Award-winning author, retired physician, woodworker, poet, and illustrator. He is on the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) Impact & Legacy Fund Steering Committee, and enjoys the intersections of his gay, neurodivergent, and Mexican American identities. He and his husband live near Boston, Massachusetts. Pedro & Daniel…
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Jamar Vailes
Jamar Vailes is the Brooklyn Public Library Programs & Exhibitions Department Operations Manager, and the recipient of the 2025 Feder Leonard Family Award for Excellence in Service to the Library’s Public. Jamar has previously worked as a Team Leader in Custodial Services, where he co-created the “Help Us Help You!” campaign to streamline department practices.…
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Jaylene Clark Owens
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Jaylene Clark Owens, a Harlem native in Greater Philadelphia, is an award-winning actress, poet, and children’s book author. Jaylene’s magnetic presence has graced the stage, film, and television. She plays Rosie in the hit PBS Kids show, “Albie’s Elevator.” Jaylene adapted her viral poem, “A Black Girl and Her Braids,” into a children’s book of…
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Kevin R. Free
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Kevin R. Free is a multidisciplinary artist who has been narrating books for 26 years. He is the voice of Murderbot in Martha Wells’ Murderbot Diaries and he has voiced nearly all the books in the world of Eric Carle, including The Very Hungry Caterpillar. He is also the voice of Kevin from Desert Bluffs…
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Kobina Commeh
Kobina Commeh moved from Ghana to the United States as a teenager. An avid reader from a young age, he began scribbling sequels to his favorite books at just six years old. His love of storytelling deepened while raising his two daughters, inspiring him to write for children. He continues to write in his spare…
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Kristin Key
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Kristin Key is a nationally headlining, queer, musical comedian with sold-out shows nationwide. Her hilarious viral videos — including the iconic LESBIAN NATIONAL ANTHEM— have garnered over 92.2 million views from more than 750,000+ dedicated followers across social media. Click here to order the poster.
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Nicole Davis
Nicole Davis is the Branch Manager of the historic Macon Library in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn, and recipient of the 2025 Dr. Lucille C. Thomas Award for Excellence in Librarianship. Nicole started as a Children’s Librarian and worked in several branches before advancing to her current position. Her focus is on community building, including hosting Meet and Greet…
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Paloma Angelina Lopez
Paloma Angelina Lopez is a mother, student, and creative living in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. She is a dual citizen of the United States and Mexico. Her maternal grandmother’s family comes from Jalisco and Guanajuato, and her father’s family is from Zacatecas and Sinaloa. Paloma married into a Cherokee family that is heavily involved in language and culture,…
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Sara Andrea Fajardo
Sara Andrea Fajardo is a Peruvian-American writer and a founding member of #LatinxPitch for KidLit. Her new book, Alberto Salas Plays Paka Paka Con La Papa, illustrated by Caldecott Honor winner Juana Martinez-Neal from Roaring Brook Press / Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group, won the 2026 Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medal and Ezra Jack Keats…