Mariana Llanos is a children’s book writer, poet, and translator. Born in Lima, Peru, she’s the author of several books including the 2024 Pura Belpre Honor Book from the American Library Association, Benita y las criaturas nocturnas/Benita and the Night Creatures. She is also the winner of the 2022 Oklahoma Book Award for Run Little Chaski/Corre Pequeño Chaski (Barefoot Books 2021). Her latest book is a chapter book series titled Vampirita and the Angry Mob (Reycraft Books 2024), and she's a teaching artist of creative writing for the Oklahoma Arts Council. Tune in for Mariana’s take on thrillers and mysteries for children and her thoughts about AI and creativity.