Hi! It’s Anika.
You probably clicked on the About page to learn a little more about me and how I became a children’s book author. Or maybe you were searching for “Anika Noni Rose” and accidentally landed here. Either way, I’m happy you stopped by!
I’m Anika Aldamuy Denise. I write picture books! Here are some random biographical facts about me.
- I grew up in Queens, New York. (I love being from Queens! Did you know that Queens is one of the most diverse urban areas in the whole world? Click HERE for some of my favorite Queens landmarks.)
- My family is multicultural. I’m Puerto Rican on my dad’s side; Italian-American on my mom’s side. I love pasteles and pasta!
- My favorite books growing up were about kids solving mysteries or having unexpected adventures like in The Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler.
- I’m a city kid at heart, but I also love the Adirondack Mountains, where I spent summers with my grandmother.
- Growing up in New York City, my mom got half-priced tickets and took me to Broadway plays. My dad got half-priced tickets and took me to Mets games—which makes me equal parts Broadway and Baseball.
- I once visited the set of Sesame Street and knocked on Oscar the Grouch’s trash can.
- My first pet was a guinea pig named Ralph the Grouch. (Or “Ralph” for short.)
- I have two younger siblings and many, many primos. In my family, we have poets, playwrights, pro basketball players, marines, marine biologists, journalists, doctors, lawyers, dancers, nurses, teachers, and more.
- I’m married to a children’s book illustrator! We’ve published four books together and have three daughters.
- I studied film in college, then photography, then made my way to advertising and copywriting.
- I write all different kinds of picture books but I especially love writing (and reading) stories that reflect my multicultural background and highlight Latinx culture.
- Check out this list created by Boricua Reads, which includes new and upcoming #ownvoices Latinx titles (from board books all the way up to adult) to put on your TBR stack! For stories specifically related to Puerto Rico, Marilisa Jiménez García has you covered with this post: Puerto Rican Children’s Literature for Social Justice: A Bibliography for Educators. And for a list of independent Latinx-owned bookstores, click here.
- My TENTH picture book will be out soon! It’s about award-winning Puerto Rican actress, singer, and dancer Rita Moreno. She won an historic Oscar for her role in the film musical West Side Story. She’s also an activist who lends her support to many important causes. You might know her as Lydia on One Day at a Time.
- Though “my heart’s devotion” will is always be in the bright lights and big city of New York, I now live in quiet, quirky, quahog-loving coastal Rhode Island with my husband, daughters, and one orange tabby cat named Charlie. It’s really nice here. I get lots of writing done.
For a more official-
sounding bio,
jump over to my
Press Kit page!