About the Authors

María Retana was born in Cuba. She received a B.A. in Spanish and Comparative Literature from the University of California, Riverside. Mrs. Retana is the author of more than twenty bilingual children’s books. In December 2008, The International Reading Association and The Cochise Area Council awarded her first literacy award. Mrs. Retana lives with her husband, Guillermo, in Tucson, Arizona, USA.

Mrs. Retana is well known for her bilingual English and Spanish children's books. She has published picture books, chapter books, and graphic novels. The genres she has written in are: Science Fiction, Historical Fiction, Historical Nonfiction, Mystery, Fantasy, Fiction, and Narrative Nonfiction.  

María Retana is an ambassador for the Literary Magazine "Story Monsters Ink" and a member of the Arizona Authors Association. 

Miles Last was born in Tucson, AZ in 2011. At the age of seven he joined his grandma, María Retana, and together they wrote the second bilingual children's book in the Miles & Lee English and Spanish series, titled Miles & Lee Save The Monarch Butterflies/Miles & Lee salvan las mariposas monarcas. In Kindergarten, he wrote his own fantasy story. He enjoys reading, filming short films, and watching movies.  Miles plays rugby, practices karate, and is in 7th grade. On March 1, 2024, Miles won third place in the Optimist International Essay Contest titled "Optimism: How It Connects Us." sponsored by the Rincon Optimist Club in Tucson, AZ.  He lives in Tucson, Arizona with his parents and little brother Lee.

About the Illustrator

Salva Ferrando is a Spanish illustrator, born in the City of Valencia in 1966.  Self-taught, he has accomplished much in more than twenty years of his professional career illustrating books and other publications for well-known Spanish publishing houses. He has illustrated iPad apps, comic books and storyboards for film and other media. In the past few years, he has also worked for US and Australian customers.