René Colato Laínez is the author of Señor Pancho Had a Rancho, illustrated by Elwood Smith, and other picture books in Spanish and English. He lives in California, where he teaches a bilingual kindergarten class. Through his work as both an author and an educator, he hopes to help all children develop positive self-images. Joe Cepeda is an award-winning illustrator of more than twenty books for children, including Swing Sisters: The Story of the International Sweethearts of Rhythm, by Karen Deans. He lives in Southern California with his wife and their son.