<p style="text-align: center;">Meet the Author Series</p>

<h1 style="text-align: center;"><strong>Edwin Fontánez</strong></h1>
<h2 style="text-align: center;"><strong><em>The Illuminated Forest</em></strong></h2>
<p style="text-align: center;">AN ILLUSTRATED NOVEL</p>
<em><img class="alignleft wp-image-3296 size-medium" src="http://tallerpr.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Illuminated_BookCover-copy-200x300.jpg" alt="Illuminated BookCover copy" width="200" height="300" />12-year-old Mateo returns to his grandparents’ island to deal with a family tragedy. From the moment he arrives, a series of terrifying events turn his world upside down. A stray cat with a mohawk, a ruthless town bully, and a lost ghost mysteriously come together and change his life forever.</em>

<strong>“Tender, yet delivered with a punch in all the right places... Sophisticated symbolism and well-honed language typical of fine literature.”</strong><em> —ForeWord Clarion Review</em>

<strong>“Compelling... Endearing and impressive.” </strong><em>—Kirkus Reviews</em>

<strong>“The descriptions of Palo Verde’s lush and simple </strong><strong>community are quite memorable.” </strong><em>—School Library Journal</em>

Edwin Fontánez is an award-winning artist, author, illustrator, and presenter. He holds a BA from the School of Plastic Arts of the Institute of Culture in Puerto Rico and an Associates from Pratt Institute in New York. Fontánez’s magical and poetic work is a new and exciting presence in Caribbean and Latin American children’s literature. To view his outstanding work, visit <a title="Exist Studio" href="exitstudio.com" target="_blank">exitstudio.com</a> or <a title="Illuminated Forest" href="illuminatedforest.com" target="_blank">illuminatedforest.com</a>.