Carmen Agra Deedy, is an award-winning author of fifteen books for young readers, including "The Rooster Who Would Not Be Quiet!," "Martina the Beautiful Cockroach," "Rita and Ralph’s Rotten Day" and "14 Cows for America," a New York Times Bestseller. Her latest book, "Wombat Said Come In," was released in October 2022.
Her personal stories first appeared on NPR’s All Things Considered. Funny, insightful, and frequently irreverent, Deedy’s narratives are culled from her childhood as a Cuban refugee in Decatur, Georgia. She is host of the four-time Emmy-winning children’s program, "Love That Book!"
Deedy is also an accomplished lecturer, having been a guest speaker for the Library of Congress, Columbia University, both the TED and TEDx Conference, and the Kennedy Center, among other distinguished venues. An editor, and life-long advocate for libraries, she has served on the Advisory Board of Smithsonian Libraries and Archives, and will do so again, as of January 2023.
Awards: Parents’ Choice Gold Award, E.B. White Read-Aloud Honor, Pura Belpre Medal (honor book), Odyssey Award (honor), Bologna Ragazzi Award for Children’s Non-Fiction, Christopher Award (books for young people), Jane Addams Peace Prize (Honor Book)
Communities: Hispanic or Latinx