Tucson Festival of Books

Donna Barba Higuera (she/her/hers)



Studio B Portraits

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Donna Barba Higuera grew up in Central California and now lives in the Pacific Northwest. She has spent her entire life blending folklore with her experiences into stories that fill her imagination. Higuera is the author of "El Cucuy Is Scared, Too!," the forthcoming "The Yellow Handkerchief," "Lupe Wong Won't Dance" (winner of a Pura Belpré Honor and a PNBA award) and "The Last Cuentista" (winner of the Newbery Medal and the Pura Belpré Medal). Her new book is "Alebrijes."

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Awards: Newbery Medal, Pura Belpré Award, SCBWI Crystal Kite Award, Sid Fleischman Award

Communities: Hispanic or Latinx, Mixed Race


Scheduled events:
Challenging Power: Chaos, Secrets, and Resistance
These high-stakes adventures feature characters who face corruption and chaos as they actively resist those in power despite the danger to create a more hopeful world. Sayantani DasGupta, Donna Barba Higuera, and Rajani LaRocca immerse us in an oppressive future world, an environmental mystery, and a world where music and magic are outlawed.

Education Room 353 (Seats 92, Wheelchair accessible)  View this venue on the Festival map
Sat, Mar 9, 11:30 am - 12:30 pm
Children
Signing area: Signing Area - Children (following presentation)  View this venue on the Festival map

Panelists: Sayantani DasGupta, Rajani LaRocca, Donna Higuera
Moderator: Moanike'ala Kanae
Cuentos for Kids: Presenting the Américas Award
The Américas Award was founded to “encourage and commend authors, illustrators and publishers who produce quality children’s and young adult books that portray Latin America, the Caribbean, or Latinx cultures in the United States.” Listen to a discussion between three storytellers who are Américas Award winners or honorees.

Nuestras Raíces Stage (Seats 150)  View this venue on the Festival map
Sat, Mar 9, 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Multigenre
Signing area: Pima County Public Library/Nuestras Raíces/Craft Tent & Signing Area (following presentation)  View this venue on the Festival map

Panelists: David Bowles, Donna Higuera, John Parra
Moderator: Azucena Bravo, Ed.S.
A Conversation with Donna Barba Higuera
The Middle Grade Reading Ambassadors invite readers to join a conversation with Donna Barba Higuera about her new dystopia, "Alebrijes," the story of what happened to the people who survived the devastation of earth's collision with a comet. This novel occurs in the same time period as "The Last Cuentista," her Newbery Award novel, but is set back on earth instead of space.

Education Room 351 (Seats 46, Wheelchair accessible)  View this venue on the Festival map
Sun, Mar 10, 2:30 pm - 3:30 pm
Children
Signing area: Signing Area - Children (following presentation)  View this venue on the Festival map

Panelist: Donna Higuera
Moderator: Rebecca Ballenger

Books:
Alebrijes
Children
Levine Querido
October 2023
ISBN 9781646142637
416 pages
Buy now

The Last Cuentista
Children
Levine Querido
January 2021
ISBN 9781646140893
336 pages
Buy now