? "Colo?n's pen-and-ink and watercolor illustrations are paired perfectly with the text and the subject. . . This expressive picture book biography presents a solid argument for why Cervantes should be revered as an important figure in the Western canon. A gorgeous and well-crafted work for all nonfiction collections."?School Library Journal, Starred Review

"Poems about contemporaneous events?the plague, book burning?add depth to Engle's representation of the era. Colo?n's noble portraits, done in pen, ink, and watercolor, recall the work of classic popularizers such as N.C. Wyeth and the D'Aulaires. Even readers who don't progress to Cervantes's own work will come away with an indelible sense of the story and its creator."?Publishers Weekly

? "Engle's poems are lyrical yet direct. . . Colo?n's pen, ink, and watercolor illustrations (inspired by the prints of Gustav Dore?) accompany every poem bringing Engle's words into sharp focus. . . . An intriguing, lightly fictionalized introduction to an iconic author, this will encourage readers to learn more about the first modern novel."?Booklist, Starred Review

? "Beautiful and engaging, this book will inspire readers to find out more."?Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review
Margarita Engle is the Cuban American author of many verse books, including a Newbery Honor winner, The Surrender Tree; a PEN USA Award winner, The Lightning Dreamer; and a verse memoir, Enchanted Air, winner of many awards, including an inaugural Walter Dean Myers Award Honor. Margarita's books have also received three Pura Belpre? Awards and four Ame?ricas Awards, as well as a Jane Addams Award, International Reading Association Award, and the Charlotte Zolotow Award. In 2017, the Poetry Foundation named her the Young People's Poet Laureate. Margarita grew up in Los Angeles but developed a deep attachment to her mother's homeland during summers with her extended family in Cuba. She was trained as a botanist and agronomist before becoming a full-time poet and novelist.

Rau?l Colo?n was born in New York City in December of 1952 and moved with his parents in the 1960s to Caguas, Puerto Rico, where he studied commercial art. Colo?n is a versatile and acclaimed illustrator whose work has appeared in important national publications. An award-winning illustrator of over thirty books for children, Colo?n has received a Golden Kite Award, a Pura Belpre? Award, and both a gold and silver medal in The Original Art show. He lives in New City, New York.