Yuyi Morales was born in Xalapa, Mexico, the city of flowers and springs. After migrating to the United States in 1994, she struggled with English and loneliness in a culture foreign to her but found solace in public libraries, where she read children’s books with her son and discovered a renewed interest in stories and art.

She is now the author and illustrator of many books for children, including the New York Times bestseller Dreamers and Niño Wrestles the World. She is a six-time winner of the Pura Belpré Medal for an outstanding work of literature for children that best portrays, affirms, and celebrates the Latino cultural experience. Other honors include the Americas Award, the Golden Kite Medal, the Christopher Award, the Jane Adams Award, and the Tomás Rivera Award. In 2015 she received the Caldecott Honor for her book Viva Frida.