Everyone has a story to tell.
Rising Stars Interview Nov 16, 2020
Bio
Melissa H. Mwai (she/her) is a children’s author and illustrator. A Puerto Rican Childhood, Harlem Renaissance, and History of Jazz were published as part of DK’s 2024 Super Readers series. She’s also published Stacey Abrams in 2022 with Nat Geo Kids. Melissa contributed several poems and illustrations to Gnomes and Ungnomes: Poems of Hidden Creatures published in 2023 by the Writers’ Loft Press.
She uses the initial “H” in her name to honor her family name, Hernández, representing her Afro-Puerto Rican culture.
Melissa is a former middle school English teacher and worked in Education Assessment. She has a M.S. in Library Science, a B.A. in English/Creative Writing, and teaches Sunday School.
She is represented by Jacqui Lipton at The Tobias Literary Agency.
A New York native, Melissa now lives in Maryland with her spouse, two kids, and rabbit named Sailor. Melissa and Sailor hang out while she creates new things for kids.