The Placitas Library will host award-winning children’s author and illustrator Daniel Vandever for a summer reading program on June 28 at 1 p.m.
Vandever (Diné) is an entrepreneur hailing from Haystack, NM, and serves as the CEO of South of Sunrise Creative, a strategic communications firm dedicated to advancing education initiatives through a community-based approach.
Vandever’s unique creativity, which he attributes in part to his childhood experiences as a Ninja Turtle at Small Wonders Day Care, is evident in his acclaimed works. His debut picture book, Fall in Line, Holden!, was recognized as a 2018 Honor Book for the American Indian Youth Literature Award. He self-published his follow-up picture book, Herizon, in 2021, which was named the Best Picture Book of 2022 by the American Indian Library Association. In 2024, Vandever expanded his literary contributions with an early reader titled Behind Every Rug, released by Scholastic, and his third picture book, We Weave.
Vandever holds an undergraduate degree in Strategic Communications from the University of Missouri and a master’s degree in Community and Regional Planning from the University of New Mexico.
The Placitas Library invites the community to join them for this special event.