Darlene holds an MFA in Creative Writing from UTEP and a BA in English with a minor in medical studies fromUH. Her work goes far beyond her books — she has written short stories for educational companies likeAccelerate Education and Teacher Created Materials, and she collaborated with Literary Safari to create an original commissioned text for a majoreducational publisher, set to release in January 2026.

Darlene is also the co-founder of LatinxPitch, an online pitch event empowering Latinx authors to showcase their stories and voices.

Don’t miss this episode where we discuss her writing journey, her work in education, and the importance of representation in children’s literature.

Contact Darlene P. Campos

Website: https://www.darlenepcampos.com

Contact form: https://www.darlenepcampos.com/contact

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/darlenepcampos

X (Twitter): https://x.com/DarleneCampos91

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DarlenePCampos/

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 cultural heritage 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 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 tostay updated on future episodes!

Welcome to Bilingual Book Buddies! Join hosts Alicia Salazar, Claudia Sloan, and Silvia López as they sit down with award-winning Brazilian-American author and educator Ana Siqueira.

Ana shares her journey from teaching Spanish to writingbeloved children’s books like Bella’s Recipe for Success and If Your Babysitter Is a Bruja.

Discover how Ana’s multicultural experiences influence her storytelling and her commitment to promoting Latinx voices in children’s literature.

Connect with Our Guest:

Website: anafiction.com

Instagram: @asiqueira1307

Twitter: @SraSiqueira1307

Meet Your Hosts:

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

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.

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.

About Bilingual Book Buddies:

Bilingual Book Buddies is a podcast dedicated to celebrating bilingual children’sliterature. Each episode features conversations with authors, illustrators, andmany others involved in bringing bilingual books to life.

Don’t forget to subscribe and hit the notification bell to stay updated on futureepisodes!

#BilingualBookBuddies#AnaSiqueira #ChildrensBooks #LatinxAuthors #BilingualLiterature #Podcast

In this episode of BilingualBook Buddies, we sit down with the incredibly talented illustrator Olivia Sua! Known forher textured, painted cut-paper style and heartfelt storytelling, Olivia bringsa rich cultural perspective to children's books, inspired by her Colombian andSouth African roots.

We chat about her creative journey from the forests of North Bend,Washington to the world of award-winning picture books like Water Day by Margarita Engle. Olivia shares hownature, family, and multicultural identity shape her work—and what it means tomake magic out of paper, color, and imagination.

Tune in to hear about her creative process, recent honors(including the 2025 CCBC Best of the Year!), and what’s next in her artisticadventure.

Whether you're an illustrator, writer, or just a lover ofbeautiful books, this is a conversation you don’t want to miss!

Listen now and subscribe for more inspiringchats with bilingual book creators!

Connect with Our Guest:

Website: oliviasua.com

Instagram: @oliviasua

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: Alicia Salazar 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!

#BilingualBookBuddies#OliviaSua #ChildrensBooks #IllustratorInterview #PictureBooks#LatinxIllustrator #WaterDay #CutPaperArt