Dr. Raquel M. Ortiz is an anthropologist, educator, activist, songwriter, and author of several bilingual children’s books including Sofi and the Magic, Musical Mural (2015), Sofi Paints her Dreams (2019), When Julia Danced Bomba (2019), and Vicki and a Summer of Change! (2020). Her stories about Afro-Caribbean and Latinx culture invite children and adults to join in on adventures, featuring children as the protagonists so that they see and celebrate their creativity and valor. Ortiz has a PhD in cultural anthropology from the University of Salamanca and a Masters in Puerto Rican studies from the Centro de Estudios Avanzados de Puerto Rico y el Caribe. Currently, she is working on a middle grade novel that explores folktales and Taíno mythology.

Broken Butterfly Wings celebrates the tropical rainforest El Yunque and aims to start conversations about preservation of Puerto Rico’s natural beauty and rebuilding efforts after Hurricane María. Demonstrating the joy found in using one’s imagination, this bilingual picture book depicts a young girl drawing on her senses—smell, hearing, sight—to return to a beloved place. This book explores memories, family relationships, and the preservation and celebration of nature.