About the Author

Rhiannon Santos is an educator and author. The Adventures of Marcos and Maria started out as a collection of short stories to be used in her work in non-governmental projects in Brazil after she became frustrated by the lack of representation for her Afro-Brazilian students. Through Marcos and Maria, her students could travel the world through characters that looked and lived like them.

Now completely revised and rewritten, she is sharing The Adventures of Marcos and Maria for all children to enjoy. Young readers get a fun insight into life in the fascinating country of Brazil and explore the delights (and dangers!) of adventures in different countries around the world.

On a personal level, as (the creative) half of a bi-racial couple, she wants her future children to be represented in stories in the same way that she was as a child.

She believes that black characters in children’s books shouldn’t be tokens or marketing gimmicks. They should be on the front cover for a reason – because they are well-rounded, memorable and genuinely fun to read about.