Juana Martinez-Neal (she/her/hers)
Cate BarryJuana Martinez-Neal is the daughter and granddaughter of painters. Alma and How She Got Her Name was her first book as author-illustrator. She is the New York Times bestselling illustrator recipient of a Caldecott Honor, two Sibert Medals and a Pura Belpré Medal for Illustration. Juana was born in Peru, and lives in Connecticut with her family. Her newest picturebooks are Off the Wall, co-created with Molly Idle, and Mariposa's Journey.
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Awards: Caldecott Honor Book, Pura Belpré Award, Sibert Medal 2020, International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY) Illustration Honor 2014, SCBWI Grand Prize Winner 2012, Ezra Jack Keats Award Writer Honor 2019
Communities: Hispanic or Latinx, Mixed Race, Neurodivergent
Books:
Off the Wall
Making Stuff Together
Children
Neal Porter Books
May 2026
ISBN 9780823455539
Hardcover, 0 pages
A story about art, collaboration, and happy accidents from your favorite duo of Caldecott Honorees, Molly Idle and Juana Martinez-Neal.
Best friends Juana Martinez-Neal and Molly Idle know a thing or two about collaborative art. After teaming up to illustrate Julie Fogliano's I Don't Care, they set out to explore what it takes to make stuff together!
Off the Wall is a joyful celebration of that very process. The day begins with one little girl, alone with a wall and a bucket of chalk. Then a friend comes along to play tic-tac-toe. Before you can say "look out!", there are five friends, a cat, a dog, and a splattered ice cream cone. Chalk is flying, hands are getting dirty, and the art on the wall gets bigger and, more importantly, better.
Little artists and creative types of all ages will delight in the messmaking of a story that builds and builds to reveal what true friends make when they create together. Off the Wall reminds readers of the magic that happens when we play, experiment, and welcome the unexpected. More/less
Mariposa's Journey
Children
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
January 2026
ISBN 9780316168571
Hardcover, 0 pages
Experience the transformative journey of a child along the migration route of monarch butterflies in this beautiful homage to both nature and immigration, with breathtaking illustrations from Caldecott Honor-winning artist Juana Martinez-Neal.
The journey looms long and dangerous, but Mariposa is not migrating alone. Every year when the cold winter months threaten, monarch butterflies embark on an incredible migratory journey from the northern United States and Canada to the warmer climates of southern California and Mexico. Every year, humans migrate too. For survival. For family. For a better life. The path will not be easy. Will Mariposa find the way to the warmth and safety of home?
Critically acclaimed author Belen Medina explores the interconnectedness of monarchs and migrants while richly textured artwork from Caldecott Honor recipient Juana Martinez-Neal creates a visually breathtaking odyssey.. An author's note provides additional context about the indigenous Mazahua people of Mexico and their interactions with the monarch butterfly, as well as more information about the butterflies' migratory routes and conservation status. More/less
