Lulu Delacre, author/illustrator of many award-winning children’s books, was born on Dec. 20, 1957, in Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico.

Her parents are from Argentina and were both teachers at the University of Puerto Rico. Lulu is the middle child in a family of three girls. She spent many days at her grandmother’s drawing and coloring, and was enrolled into painting classes when she was ten.

She loved to watch bugs, catch butterflies and study leaves and flowers. As a teenager, she started gardening. It was in high school when she decided to become an artist. She then moved to Paris to study photography, typograph, design and illustration.

Her books honor the folklore and traditions of her childhood, both in English and Spanish. She wrote her book “Alicia Afterimage” after talking to 22 of her daughter Alicia’s friends after the 16-year-old was killed in a car wreck in 2004.

Delacre has lectured internationally and served as a juror for the National Book Awards. Reading is Fundamental honored her with a Champion of Children’s Literacy Award.

Delacre now lives in Silver Spring, Md. She loves to travel, meet new people and explore other cultures. She gardens on a roof terrace and before bed has a piece of dark chocolate and a cup of perfumed tea.

We have one of her B-2 beginner books, “Rafi and Rosi.”