Classical 91.7-Arte Público Press Author of the Month: Christina Rodriguez

Born to multicultural parents overseas, Christina Rodriguez grew up as a military “brat” and loved to read, draw, and paint.  A good book and her art supplies were always on hand as she moved from place to place.  Christina excelled in her studies and later attended the Rhode Island School of Design, where she graduated with a degree in Illustration.

Currently, Christina works as a freelance illustrator for many clients nationwide. Her vibrantly colored illustrations can be seen in the bilingual picture books Baseball on Mars / Beisbol En Marte (Piñata Books, 2009), Somos Primos / We Are Cousins (Piñata Books, 2007), Un dia con mis tias / A Day with my Aunts (Piñata Books, 2006), and Mayte and the Bogeyman / Mayte y el Cuco (Piñata Books, 2006), as well as The Antarctic Express (Atlas Games, 2009), The Wishing Tree (Elva Resa Publishing, 2008), Storm Codes (Windward Publishing, 2007), and Boon the Raccoon and Easel the Weasel (Multicultural Publications, 2005).  She paints primarily in a mixture of watercolors, watercolor pencils, and gouache, but she also loves to create “mixed digital” illustrations with graphite and Adobe Photoshop.  Her work has been recognized by the Midwest Booksellers Association, ForeWord Magazine, the Northeastern Minnesota Book Awards, and the Mom’s Choice Awards.

When not illustrating, promoting her books, or meeting delightful young readers during school visits, Christina actively volunteers with the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.  She also enjoys dabbling in graphic design, creating items such as note cards for nature centers, logos, and wedding invitation ensembles.  In her spare time, Christina loves cooking authentic Mexican cuisine, hula-hooping, and hiking along the St. Croix River. She and her husband live with their dog in historic Stillwater, Minnesota.

Arte Público Press is the nation’s largest and most established publisher of contemporary and recovered literature by U.S. Hispanic authors. Based at the University of Houston, Arte Público Press, Piñata Books and the Recovering the U.S. Hispanic Literary Heritage project provide the most widely recognized and extensive showcase for Hispanic literary arts and creativity. For more information, please visit www.artepublicopress.com.

In the next installment of a series of monthly features, Classical 91.7’s Eric Ladau spoke with Ms. Rodriguez about her works.