Meet The Creators
MR. Taxi
zipped-off to make some magic happen!
10 Fun Facts About The Author!
one
When Mia was little, she had a frog that lived inside a water meter hole in front of her house. One of her older sisters wanted to use it for a science experiment! Mia cried so much, her daddy had to help her sister find a new frog. She STILL has a frog that lives at her house! Crooooaaak!
two
three
For lunch she would ask her mother to make her mayonnaise sandwiches … on white bread … with no crust … please. What’s wrong with that?
four
If she wakes up from sleeping and has an idea, she HAS to jump up and write it down … immediately … otherwise the “sleepies” will steal her ideas away!
five
On summer evenings, Mia and her sister would catch lightning bugs (fireflies) and smear them on their shirts. Then they would run around the yard … glowing!
six
She had a collection of little plastic cars that carried “pecan people” in them. She drove them around and around the elaborate town she built in her sandbox. BEEP! BEEP!
seven
When Mia takes walks, she thinks up rhyming phrases to the beat of her steps!
eight
She once swam 2 miles across a lake near her house. She was fearless!
nine
Her family has a special language that they speak when together. They call it “Talking Spence!” It’s pretty funny!
ten
She believes that imaginations must ALWAYS run wild!
Meet Mia!
Author
She is one tall Texan who speaks her own creative, fun language! Mia grew up in the Texas Hill Country, as the youngest child of John and Lorraine Masters who faithfully read to her … a lot!
Ahh, Texas life! With the Guadalupe River, lightning bugs, sandboxes, bare feet, and sweaty grandma beads around her neck, Mia delighted in it all!
She graduated from Texas A&M University with a degree in Education, Curriculum, and Instruction, and a masters degree from Sam Houston State University in Library Science. She is a former elementary educator, librarian, and media specialist with sixteen years of experience in education.
Mia now lives in Central Texas with her husband, Ken Emery, and together they have reared two smart and beautiful daughters … both Aggies.
She has a passion for SCUBA diving, hiking, bird watching, boating, cooking, gardening, traveling, and of course … reading and writing! The outdoors and the crazy ideas in her head keep her on the go!
With a desire for putting the right book in the hands of those little ones just beginning their journey into the world of reading … and even for those who don’t yet read, or who enjoy books for all the other lovely things they offer, in Spirit, she wrote Mr. Taxi.
Meet Mia!
Author
She is one tall Texan who speaks her own creative, fun language! Mia grew up in the Texas Hill Country, as the youngest child of John and Lorraine Masters who faithfully read to her … a lot!
Ahh, Texas life! With the Guadalupe River, lightning bugs, sandboxes, bare feet, and sweaty grandma beads around her neck, Mia delighted in it all!
She graduated from Texas A&M University with a degree in Education, Curriculum, and Instruction, and a masters degree from Sam Houston State University in Library Science. She is a former elementary educator, librarian, and media specialist with sixteen years of experience in education.
Mia now lives in Central Texas with her husband, Ken Emery, and together they have reared two smart and beautiful daughters … both Aggies.
She has a passion for SCUBA diving, hiking, bird watching, boating, cooking, gardening, traveling, and of course … reading and writing! The outdoors and the crazy ideas in her head keep her on the go!
With a desire for putting the right book in the hands of those little ones just beginning their journey into the world of reading … and even for those who don’t yet read, or who enjoy books for all the other lovely things they offer, in Spirit, she wrote Mr. Taxi.
10 Fun Facts About The Author!
one
When Mia was little, she had a frog that lived inside a water meter hole in front of her house. One of her older sisters wanted to use it for a science experiment! Mia cried so much, her daddy had to help her sister find a new frog. She STILL has a frog that lives at her house! Crooooaaak!
two
three
For lunch she would ask her mother to make her mayonnaise sandwiches … on white bread … with no crust … please. What’s wrong with that?
four
If she wakes up from sleeping and has an idea, she HAS to jump up and write it down … immediately … otherwise the “sleepies” will steal her ideas away!
five
On summer evenings, Mia and her sister would catch lightning bugs (fireflies) and smear them on their shirts. Then they would run around the yard … glowing!
six
She had a collection of little plastic cars that carried “pecan people” in them. She drove them around and around the elaborate town she built in her sandbox. BEEP! BEEP!
seven
When Mia takes walks, she thinks up rhyming phrases to the beat of her steps!
eight
She once swam 2 miles across a lake near her house. She was fearless!
nine
Her family has a special language that they speak when together. They call it “Talking Spence!” It’s pretty funny!
ten
She believes that imaginations must ALWAYS run wild!
Meet Maria!
Illustrator
Maria Flo is an illustrator and 2D animator who loves art in all its expressions. She is half Uruguayan and half Argentinian, and has lived in multiple places, from the wide beaches of the Atlantic coast and the extensive River Plate countryside to crazy and crowded cities like Buenos Aires. Her interpretation of the world is usually characterized by having a magical approach, in which she seeks to represent the beauty of nature and everyday life from a playful perspective.
Within picture books, illustrations create an incredible depth of meaning that is essential to the reading experience. Illustrators engage the emotions of the reader and direct the reader’s attention through masterful use of visual elements, such as color, space, and perspective. Children will feel joy and glee when viewing the style and details of Maria’s illustrations.
10 Fun Facts About The Illustrator!
one
two
three
Once, together with her brother and cousins, they made a butterfly farm inside one of the rooms of the house.
four
She loves to climb trees.
five
She lives with a peculiar gray cat called Manolo. He was adopted from the street and is as crazy as he is loving.
six
In Buenos Aires, she goes by bike everywhere, no matter the distance.
seven
Maria loves the movies and worlds of the artist Hayao Miyazaki. Her favorite movie is Spirited Away.
eight
She makes up silly songs while cooking, cleaning, or bathing.
nine
And does silly dances when she celebrates things she has achieved.
ten
She always liked to draw, and at the age of 24 she started working professionally as a 2D animator.
10 Fun Facts About The Illustrator!
one
two
three
Once, together with her brother and cousins, they made a butterfly farm inside one of the rooms of the house.
four
She loves to climb trees.
five
She lives with a peculiar gray cat called Manolo. He was adopted from the street and is as crazy as he is loving.
six
In Buenos Aires, she goes by bike everywhere, no matter the distance.
seven
Maria loves the movies and worlds of the artist Hayao Miyazaki. Her favorite movie is Spirited Away.
eight
She makes up silly songs while cooking, cleaning, or bathing.
nine
And does silly dances when she celebrates things she has achieved.
ten
She always liked to draw, and at the age of 24 she started working professionally as a 2D animator.
Meet Maria!
Illustrator
Maria Flo is an illustrator and 2D animator who loves art in all its expressions. She is half Uruguayan and half Argentinian, and has lived in multiple places, from the wide beaches of the Atlantic coast and the extensive River Plate countryside to crazy and crowded cities like Buenos Aires. Her interpretation of the world is usually characterized by having a magical approach, in which she seeks to represent the beauty of nature and everyday life from a playful perspective.
Within picture books, illustrations create an incredible depth of meaning that is essential to the reading experience. Illustrators engage the emotions of the reader and direct the reader’s attention through masterful use of visual elements, such as color, space, and perspective. Children will feel joy and glee when viewing the style and details of Maria’s illustrations.
