We welcome our friends from Lil’ Libros, the Go-To Destination for Bilingual Children’s Books, Games, & Toys, as we celebrate the beginning of Hispanic Heritage Month! We will be joined by an amazing panel: Cindy Montenegro (author My Mind is a My Mind is a Mountain / Mi mente es una montaña), Mariana Galvez (author/illustrator My Pet Flamingo), CHOGRIN (author Kid del Toro), and Cynthia Gonzalez (author The Life of / La vida de Llort). The panel will discuss their books before we have a Special Storytime that will be followed by activities for kids and a book signing.

Cindy Montenegro is a Salvadoran American mental health therapist and storyteller from Paramount, California. She received her graduate degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from Chapman University and a bachelor’s degree from UC Santa Barbara. In the therapy room, Cindy works with people of all ages to explore their emotions and strengths to create a roadmap to self-love, growth, and healing. Her imagination is influenced by her childhood, love of the outdoors, and passion for mental health. Cindy hopes that her writing will inspire readers to celebrate all of their emotions, no matter how big or small they may be! This is her first children’s book.

Mariana Galvez was born in Mexico and grew up in South Los Angeles. In her childhood, it was during weekend trips to the library that her love for illustrating and writing was forged. After a number of years in the corporate world, she was called back to illustrating when creating art for her three children. She currently resides in Whittier, CA with her husband where she loves to garden, cook vegan food, and chase after her beloved dog and cat.

CHOGRIN is an artist & storyteller from Guayaquil, Ecuador. His work is inspired by his neverending childhood and pop-culture. For the last decade, he has worked in the animation industry for companies like Cartoon Network and currently works at Disney. His artwork has been featured in multiple galleries and publications around the world. He’s currently designing vinyl toys like “Guru del Toro,” as well as writing, drawing, and directing other art projects from his secret art lair in Burbank (CA).

Cynthia Gonzalez was born in El Salvador and raised in South Los Angeles. She’s multi-faceted with talents as an author, poet, Cultural Advisor, and Entertainment Director for the Los Angeles LGBT Center. Cynthia has served as an executive board member for non-profits in Los Angeles and Long Beach, has written articles for the local Long Beach press, and was featured in the L.A. Times. Her passion for seeing a positive representation of the Salvadoran community led her to establish Salvies Who Lunch, a platform dedicated to connecting and empowering Salvadorans of all backgrounds through events. Cynthia’s recent contributions include translating eight books for Lil’ Libros’ VÁMONOS series and serving as Associate Producer and Cultural Advisor on award-winning filmmaker Kase Peña’s upcoming new film. On her free days, she enjoys watching sci-fi movies and Rocky Road ice cream.