Molly Mendoza – illustratör

A “soul-stirring opportunity for joyful reflection” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review) about a little girl who loses her grandmother and how, even in the midst of sadness and loss, life is beautiful.Every week, Granny Dee takes three trains and one bus to have a weekend full of TV-watching, bubble-bathing, nail-painting, day-tripping, and living LIFE with her granddaughter. Granny Dee always says, “Everybody should enjoy life. Life is beautiful.” Until one weekend Granny Dee doesn’t come, and Momma says she’s getting too old for trains and buses. So week after week, the little girl and her momma go to her instead. Then, one Sunday morning, Granny Dee dies. Can Momma and the little girl still find beauty in life while missing someone they loved?

An illuminating picture book biography of renowned Mexican American folk musician Joan Baez, whose songs of justice, peace, and activism have inspired listeners to create positive change across the world, from Christopher Award–winning author Monica Brown and Caldecott Honoree Molly Mendoza.From a young age, Joan Baez knew she wanted to make the world a better place. The daughter of immigrants from Mexico and Scotland, she learned values of compassion and advocacy from her parents. As Joan learned about people in need around the world, she sang to make herself feel better—and her beautiful voice made others feel better, too. Joan sang songs about workers’ rights, civil rights, and the struggle for justice. She started in coffee shops and clubs, worked her way to singing at folk festivals and on New York stages, and eventually she sang next to Martin Luther King Jr. at the March on Washington, alongside César Chávez, and for the President of the United States. Joan realized music could move people’s hearts, minds, and feet toward a path of justice and peace. And she used the gift of her beautiful voice to do just that.

This tribute to the unsung heroes of firefighting takes readers along on a high-stakes mission to battle one of the deadliest natural disasters. A lone figure stands on a tower, watching and waiting. Lightning strikes. Tree bark sparks. A wisp of white smoke rises in the distance. It is time to act. Frightening images of raging wildfires top the daily news. On the ground, smoke fills the air as people prepare to flee their homes ahead of encroaching flames. Who helps to get this crisis under control? And what do these heroes do? They hold the line. They Hold the Line delivers a dramatic inside look at the work of the highly trained first responders who risk their lives to fight wildfires. From hotshot handcrews to those who support them, wildland firefighters serve as stewards of the land, managing the health of our forests and the safety of our communities. Powerfully written by Dan Paley, and brought vividly to life by Molly Mendoza, this compelling and informative narrative explores wildland firefighters' complex, high-stakes mission in-depth.

I wonder, then, what freedom is. Is it a place? Is it a thought? Can it be stolen? Can it be bought? As powerful as it is beautiful, Freedom, We Sing is a lyrical picture book designed to inspire and give hope to readers around the world. Molly Mendoza's immersive, lush illustrations invite kids into the text, to ask themselves what it means to be free, while lyrical and emotive text is provided by musician Amyra Leon.