Debbie Tinoco was born and raised in Bakersfield, CA she currently resides in Sacramento, CA with her husband, son, and two dogs. She earned a B.A. and M.A. from California State University, Sacramento and an Ed.D. from the University of San Francisco where she received encouragement and motivation to begin writing for children. Throughout her teaching career, Debbie has taught several grade levels but has spent most of her time in higher education. She grew up in a Mexican American extended family where her grandparents were central to her life. Her extended family provided many unforgettable memories she mostly cherishes today. Grandpa Tom and Grandma Carmen are her grandparents she honors in her Dale Gas Carmen multicultural children's books series. Their unconditional love, affection, and "every day is an adventure" approach to life are reflected in these stories.From childhood, artist Laura Perez had always dreamed of becoming a children's book illustrator and wanted to pursue advanced education in the genre with a goal of making it a career. When she began higher education, she learned that unfortunately the Centro de Estudios Superiores de Diseño de Monterrey did not offer a specific course in illustration, so she refocused, and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Graphic Design and Publicity. For over fifteen years, Laura worked as a Graphic Designer, and during that time became a parent. Motherhood gave her time -- and additional inspiration -- to reflect on her dream of telling children's stories through images. She is currently working as an illustrator for the Dale Gas Carmen series and pursuing other opportunities to expand her career as an illustrator. Laura was born and raised in Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico. She lives there with her husband Javier, son Ian, and their two old cats, KiKi and Joy.
