Alma Flor Ada was born in 1938 in Cuba. She has authored several children's folktales including "Encaje de Piedra" which earned her the Marta Salotti Gold Medal, "The Gold Coin" which won the Christopher Award, and "Gathering the Sun" which received the Once Upon a World Award. "The Lizard and the Sun/La Lagartija y el Sol" won her a Gold Medal from the National Association of Parenting Publications, and she was awarded an Accolade from the American Folklore Association for "Mediopollito/Half-Chicken". Her title "Under the Royal Palms: A Childhood in Cuba" won the Pura Belpre Award. In addition to writing, she is a professor at the University of San Francisco.