Donna Barba Higuera grew up in Central California and now lives in the Pacific Northwest. She has spent her entire life blending folklore with her experiences into stories that fill her imagination. Now she weaves them to write picture books and novels. Donna's first book, Lupe Wong Won't Dance, won a Sid Fleischman Award for Humor and a Pura Belpré Honor.Her second novel, The Last Cuentista, received the John Newbery Medal and the Pura Belpré Award. It was named one of the Best Books of the Year by the Boston Globe, Minneapolis Star Tribune, Wall Street Journal and TIME.The Consortium for Latin American Studies Programs (CLASP) selected Donna Barba Higuera's XOLO as a 2026 Américas Award for Children's and YA Literature Commended Title.

Gripping in its twists and turns, and moving in its themes - truly a beautiful cuento

Donna Barba Higuera grew up in Central California and now lives in the Pacific Northwest. She has spent her entire life blending folklore with her experiences into stories that fill her imagination. Now she weaves them to write picture books and novels. Donna's first book, Lupe Wong Won't Dance, won a Sid Fleischman Award for Humor and a Pura Belpré Honor.Her second novel, The Last Cuentista, received the John Newbery Medal and the Pura Belpré Award. It was named one of the Best Books of the Year by the Boston Globe, Minneapolis Star Tribune, Wall Street Journal and TIME.The Consortium for Latin American Studies Programs (CLASP) selected Donna Barba Higuera's XOLO as a 2026 Américas Award for Children's and YA Literature Commended Title.

Gripping in its twists and turns, and moving in its themes - truly a beautiful cuento