This week on BilingualBook Buddies

We’re thrilled to welcome Mirelle Ortega,award-winning author, illustrator, and artist, to the podcast!

In this episode, Mirelle talks about her journey fromgrowing up near her family’s pineapple farm in Mexico to creating luminous, culturally rooted picture books. We dive into her Pura Belpré Honor–winning debut, Magic: Once Upon a Faraway Land, a story about transformation, creativity, and finding wonder in everyday life. We also discuss River of Mariposas, inspired by her memories of butterfly migrations and the beauty that can emerge when plans change.

Mirelle shares insights into her illustration process, herwork in animation, and how Latin American culture and magical realism shape her storytelling. This is a heartfelt conversation about art, resilience, and creating books that reflect children’s lived experiences.

Listen now to this inspiring episode of Bilingual Book Buddies
Perfect for educators, parents,librarians, writers, and anyone who loves bilingual and culturally rich children’s books.

Contact info:

Website: www.mirelleortega.com

Instagram: @msmirelle

X: @moxvi_

Meet Your Hosts:

Alicia Salazar – Mexican American children’s author andformer elementary school teacher. Author of the Camila the Star series, Alicia crafts stories that empower young readers.

Website: alicia-salazar.com

Facebook: Alicia Salazar Author

Instagram: @albricias123

Claudia Sloan – Mexican American artist, author, andillustrator known for her whimsical children’s books like Grey Ghost Mischief and We Are The Valley!. Claudia’s work celebrates Latinx culture and wellness.

Website: claudia-sloan.com

Instagram: @claudia.sloan

Silvia López – Cuban American author and former children’slibrarian. Silvia’s books, including Uno Más, One More: A Latino Retelling of an Old Scottish Ballad, and Queen of Tejano Music: Selena, highlight culturalheritage and diversity.

Website: silvialopezbooks.com

Instagram: @silvialopezbooks

Facebook: Silvia.Lopez.Writes

About Bilingual Book Buddies:

Bilingual Book Buddies is a podcast dedicated tocelebrating bilingual children’s literature. Each episode featuresconversations with authors, illustrators, and many others involved in bringing bilingual books to life.

Don’t forget to subscribe and hit the notification bell tostay updated on future episodes!

Christmas and New Year's Special

Grab a cozy blanket and join us for a festive Christmas Special of Bilingual Book Buddies! In this holiday episode, your co-hosts Alicia Salazar, Claudia Sloan, and Silvia López each share their favorite Christmas-themed bilingual (English–Spanish) children’s books, perfect for classrooms, libraries, and family read-alouds.

From heartwarming stories to joyful traditions, we’ll highlight books that celebrate language, culture, and the magic of the season—plus we’ll sprinkle in extra bilingual holiday book recommendations you won’t want to miss!

Whether you’re a teacher, librarian, parent, or book lover looking to add meaningful bilingual stories to your holiday reading list, this episode is for you.

¡Acompáñanos para celebrar la Navidad con libros bilingües que unen lenguas, culturas y corazones!Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share with a fellow book lover.

#BilingualBookBuddies #BilingualBooks #ChristmasBooks #HolidayReadAlouds #DualLanguageBooks #LatinxLit #ChildrensBooks #Navidad

Meet Your Hosts:

Alicia Salazar –

Mexican American children’s author and former elementary school teacher. Author of the Camila the Star series, Alicia crafts stories that empower young readers.

Website: alicia-salazar.com

Facebook: Alicia Salazar Author

Instagram: @albricias123

Claudia Sloan –

Mexican American artist, author, and illustrator known for her whimsical children’s books like Grey Ghost Mischief and We Are The Valley!. Claudia’s work celebrates Latinx culture and wellness.

Website: claudia-sloan.com

Instagram: @claudia.sloan

Silvia López –

Cuban American author and former children’s librarian.

Silvia’s books, including Uno Más, One More: A Latino Retelling of an Old Scottish Ballad, and Queen of Tejano Music: Selena, highlight cultural heritage and diversity.

Website: silvialopezbooks.com

Instagram: @silvialopezbooks

Facebook: Silvia.Lopez.Writes

About Bilingual Book Buddies:Bilingual Book Buddies is a podcast dedicated to celebrating bilingual children’s literature. Each episode features conversations with authors, illustrators, and many others involved in bringing bilingual books to life. Don’t forget to subscribe and hit the notification bell to stay updated on future episodes!

In this episode, we welcome Paola Santos, Venezuelan-born children’s author and creator of the acclaimed picture book How to Eat a Mango, illustrated by Juliana Perdomo. Paola shares the deeply personal memories that inspired her debut—sun-soaked childhood days in Venezuela, the wisdom of her grandmother,and the simple ritual of eating a mango with all five senses.

How to Eat a Mango has earned multiple starred reviews (Kirkus, PW, SLJ, BookPage) and is available in both English and Spanish (Cómo se come un mango). Perfect for readers who love lyrical storytelling, family traditions, and rich cultural themes.

Subscribe for more conversations with the authors shaping today’s dual-language kidlit world!

Bilingual Book Buddies —where stories connect us across languages and cultures.

Contact the Author:

Email: contact@paolasantos.com

Instagram: @pgsantosb

Meet Your Hosts:

Alicia Salazar – Mexican American children’s author andformer elementary school teacher. Author of the Camila the Star series, Aliciacrafts stories that empower young readers.

Website: alicia-salazar.com

Facebook: AliciaSalazar Author

Instagram: @albricias123

Claudia Sloan – Mexican American artist, author, andillustrator known for her whimsical children’s books like Grey Ghost Mischiefand We Are The Valley!. Claudia’s work celebrates Latinx culture and wellness.

Website: claudia-sloan.com

Instagram: @claudia.sloan

Silvia López – Cuban American author and former children’slibrarian. Silvia’s books, including Uno Más, One More: A Latino Retelling ofan Old Scottish Ballad, and Queen of Tejano Music: Selena, highlight culturalheritage and diversity.

Website: silvialopezbooks.com

Instagram: @silvialopezbooks

Facebook: Silvia.Lopez.Writes

About Bilingual Book Buddies:

Bilingual Book Buddies is a podcast dedicated tocelebrating bilingual children’s literature. Each episode featuresconversations with authors, illustrators, and many others involved in bringingbilingual books to life.

Don’t forget to subscribe and hit the notification bell tostay updated on future episodes!