A Promise to Pets March 14, 2015 – Posted in: Press

The Zebra October 2011 By Michael Gryboski Puerto Rico native Edwin Fontánez is already known for his books of poetry and illustrations inspired by his homeland. For his first nonfiction work, entitled “I Promise You”, Fontánez decided to focus on an issue that has long been close to his heart: fighting animal cruelty. As with his poetry works, Fontánez drew his inspiration from the mother country. “I was born on the very small and beautiful…

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Spotlight on Edwin Fontánez – Posted in: Press

The Arlington Connection July 2011 By Linda Smolkin Author examines animal-human bond Edwin Fontánez, who resides in Arlington, is an award-winning author and illustrator. Fontánez’s newest book, “I Promise You: An Introduction to Living the Animal-Human Bond,” explores the causes of animal abandonment and offers tips on strengthening the emotional bond between a person and his or her pet. In addition to “I Promise You,” Fontánez has written three other books, including a collection of…

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Exit Strategy: Edwin Fontánez Left Puerto Rico in Search of New Color for His Palette – Posted in: Press

Northern Virginia Magazine June/July 2007 By Linda Smolkin “At Edwin Fontánez’s cozy townhouse and studio, a wonderful creature takes center stage. His name is Ricky, Fontánez’s plump and extremely sociable cat. Ricky jumped across the dining room table to settle into his owner’s lap for a late afternoon nap. ‘See, this is why I don’t get as much done,’ said the artist and children’s book author.” Read more >>

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Fomentan la magia de la lectura – Posted in: Press

El Tiempo Latino November 9, 2007 Por Manuel Egea En el Kennedy Center, una feria del libro multicultural busca generar el hábito en los más chicos A orillas del Potomac, en el Kennedy Center de DC, se celebró el duodécimo Festival Multicultural del Libro para Niños en un encuentro que reunió a escritores, ilustradores y artistas pertenecientes a diferentes minorías con el fin de fomentar el interés por la cultura y el hábito de lectura…

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Not Your Typical Book Fair – Posted in: Press

Roll Call October 30, 2007 By Leah Carliner Children visiting the Kennedy Center on Saturday will not only see written words come to life but also learn about many cultures other than their own, thanks to authors, illustrators and performers taking part in the 12th annual Multicultural Children’s Book Festival. Book lovers attending the event — which will feature literature about African, African-American, Asian, Arabian, Caribbean, Latino and American Indian people — will be able…

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Literary festival exposes children to world cultures – Posted in: Press

The Prince George’s County Gazette August 5, 2004 by Marcus Moore Deborah Crimes, owner of Lessons from Abroad, spearheaded the first annual Multicultural Literary Expo last Saturday in an effort to expose children, ages 2 to 12, to various languages at a younger age. “Children are usually exposed to foreign languages in middle school,” said Crimes, whose Lessons from Abroad organization has been in business for a year. “This organization wants to expose them to…

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“The Illuminated Forest” Is Coming to Philadelphia March 8, 2015 – Posted in: Activity, Books, Illuminated Forest, News

Edwin Fontánez is bringing “The Illuminated Forest” to a special Meet the Author event at Taller Puertorriqueño in Philadelphia, PA on Saturday, May 16 at 3 p.m. The reading will be followed by a book signing. The event is free to the public.

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A Picture Out of This World – Posted in: Books, Illuminated Forest, News

As The Illuminated Forest begins to find its place out in the world, we here at Exit Studio are starting to reveal some behind-the-scenes aspects of the artistic process. After the long and arduous process of writing and illustrating, one of the final steps to completing the book is to choose the cover art. Although this seems like it would be a natural part of the creative flow, it can be a tricky decision. For those who…

Edwin Fontánez Reading/Signing at Festival de la Palabra NYC October 5, 2014 – Posted in: Activity, Books, Camila, Espanol, Events, I Promise You, Illuminated Forest, News, Poetry

Come meet author and illustrator Edwin Fontánez (On This Beautiful Island/En esta hermosa isla) at the Festival de la Palabra Children’s Book Festival from 12-5 p.m. on Sun., Oct. 26, 2014. He will read from his books and books will be available for purchase. El Museo del Barrio, 1230 Fifth Ave., New York, NY Free but tickets required. Register here.

What is THE ILLUMINATED FOREST about? August 15, 2014 – Posted in: Books, Illuminated Forest, News

(Don’t worry, this summary contains no spoilers!) Writing The Illuminated Forest has been one of the most challenging, yet rewarding experiences in my career. If I never write another book, this one should stand as my definitive best (at least that’s how I feel!). There are so many emotional angles to it that at times during my presentations I struggle to even put its message(s) into words. Although, I personally consider the novel “cinematic,” since…