A Jane Addam’s Children’s Book Award Honor Book for Younger Children

Dolores is a teacher, a mother, and a friend. She wants to know why her students are too hungry to listen, why they don’t have shoes to wear to school. Dolores is a warrior, an organizer, and a peacemaker. When she finds out that the farm workers in her community are poorly paid and working under dangerous conditions, she stands up for their rights.

This is the story of Dolores Huerta and the extraordinary battle she waged to ensure fair and safe work places for migrant workers. The powerful text, paired with Robert Casilla’s vibrant watercolor-and-pastel illustrations, brings Dolores’s amazing journey to life. A timeline, additional reading, articles, websites, and resources for teachers are included.

The author will donate a portion of the proceeds from sales of the book to an organization that benefits migrant workers.

Author Sarah Warren is a Head Start teacher and has served the young children in her community for more than ten years. Sarah received a Legacy Award from the YWCA of Minneapolis Children’s Center for her work supporting their mission: Eliminating racism/Empowering women. In 2007 she was honored as a “Cultural Caregiver” by the Minnesota Women’s Consortium. Sarah holds a Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies from Lesley University. She lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Illustrator Robert Casilla is the award-winning illustrator of more than twenty-five books for children. His most recent title is The Lunch Thief, written by Anne C. Bromley. Many of Robert’s books explore multicultural themes, including First Day in Grapes by L. King Perez, which received a Pura Belpré Honor Award for his illustrations and was a Smithsonian Magazine Notable Children’s Book. Robert holds a BFA from the School of Visual Arts in New York City. He enjoys visiting schools to talk about his illustration process and also teaches art to young, gifted students. Robert lives in New Fairfield, Connecticut, with his wife and two children.

Sarah Warren's profile page

Robert Casilla was born in Jersey City, New Jersey to parents from Puerto Rico. Like many children, Robert always loved to draw. As the new kid in his second grade class, he recalls doing a drawing of two birds with colored chalk on construction paper. His teacher noticed the drawing and then told the class, "We have an artist in the class!" Robert is thankful to her and all the teachers that motivated and helped him realize he had talent as an artist. Although he grew up in New Jersey, he did get to attend school in Puerto Rico as a fourth grader.

His formal training in art took place at the School of Visual Arts in New York City where he earned a BFA degree.

Since 1984, Robert has worked as a freelance illustrator for magazines, book publishers, postage stamps, educational publishers and others.

He has illustrated over 25 children's books, many of which are picture book biographies of people such as Martin Luther King, Jr., Jackie Robinson, Rosa Parks and John F. Kennedy. He has also illustrated many multicultural children's books such as Jalapeno Bagels, The Little Painter of Sabana Grande, The Legend of Mexicatl and First day in Grapes which won the Pura Belpré Honor Award.

Robert visits many schools to talk about the visual journey a story takes him through to come up with the illustrations for his books. He also teaches art to young gifted artist one day a week.

Robert lives and works from his home in New Fairfield, Connecticut with his wife and two children, 3 cats and his feisty shih tzu dog.

Robert Casilla's profile page