Storyteller Adventures

Storytelling is one of our most fundamental communication methods. Who doesn’t love hearing a good story? The fact is, we spend much of our daily lives hearing and telling stories! It’s our way of sharing information and living vicariously through the experiences of others.

During our first half-century, we have been fortunate enough to have some pretty incredible experiences and we fancy sharing our tales. We’ve called this blog, “Storyteller Adventures,” because we wanted to share some of our incidents of travel as well as to document our journey of how Vista Tranquila Publishers came into existence and how it continues. So, what does our blog include and what can you expect to find? For sure, we’ll touch on topics relevant to bilingual life, our travels around the world, the exotic foods we try, and the intriguing people we encounter. We have astonishing adventures every day though, even when we don’t go anywhere. We’ll share our mundane observations and some truly unique encounters.

Vista Tranquila Publishers is our creation but, it’s so much more than a book publishing company. We seek to tell stories that will inspire interest, promote cross-cultural understanding, and be entertaining at the same time. Our basic premise for our business is in favor of creating shared experiences and opposed to the collection of garage sale fodder. We want to make our books and our products come alive. Once you become a part of the story, the books and the handicrafts we sell become part of our shared encounter, a type of trophy you story in your memory. Everything we post on our website will tell a story. We hope you like what we’re doing, and we look forward to reading your comments!

Day at the zoo

Day at the zoo

Featured
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Vera Bolaños
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Guatemalan Ponche de Frutas
Analuisa Alvarado
Analuisa Alvarado

Analuisa Alvarado is a Guatemalan illustrator and graphic designer. She holds a B.A. from Francisco Marroquín University and an B.F.A. from the Savannah College of Art and Design. She has completed painting workshops in Florence, Italy and xylography and photography workshops in Guatemala. Her works have been displayed in more than 20 expositions in Guatemala, France, and the United States. This is her first time illustrating a children’s book.

Kimberly Mathis Pitts
Kimberly Mathis Pitts
Wayne J. Pitts
Wayne J. Pitts
Erin Raxón
Erin Raxón
Edna Coyoy
Edna Coyoy

Edna Coyoy is the principal graphic designer for Vista Tranquila Publishers, responsible for layout and design of all our children’s books and other products. Born in Guatemala, Edna is a teacher and graphic designer with training in editorial design. A nature lover, she is passionate about books and writing. She has successfully completed a variety of workshops in lettering, illustration and creative writing. She specializes is doing workshops with children and these experiences are one of her greatest sources of inspiration and creative ideas as she mixes written messages with pattern experiments, simple illustrations and color codes that help inspire her extraordinary designs. An accomplished artist, Edna is an active member of the artist collective, Limonada Bandida.

Luis Fernando Hernández
Luis Fernando Hernández

Luis Fernando Hernández, who was born in Cobán, Alta Verapaz, is an illustrator and designer. From a very young age, he felt a strong interest, which he inherited from his father, in art, especially in drawing and painting. At the age of 8, he received third place nationally in an art contest organized by UNICEF. It marked his decision to keep art in his life. At the age of 18, he moved to Guatemala City to begin his university studies, where he completed a degree in Graphic Design, a master's degree in Strategic Design and a specialization in Illustration. His favorite techniques are watercolors, ink, and digital. Some of his illustrations have been exhibited at La Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala, El Palacio Nacional de Guatemala and in 4 Grados Norte collaborating for Food for the Hungry in the exhibition Alas de Papel. This is his first experience illustrating a children's book.

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A Sawdust Carpet Journey
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María José Llort de Márquez

María José Llort de Márquez is the Director of the Fernando Llort Foundation, sharing in her father’s vision to pass on knowledge and economic opportunities to vulnerable communities in El Salvador. In this role, María José is also responsible for managing the creative and quality control processes for the Fernando Llort Brand and Copyrights.. Working alongside her father for many years, María José learned her father’s vast artistic style. We are so honored to receive the endorsement of the Fernando Llort Foundation and to have María José illustrate Painting La Palma.

Ilustrator Kimberly Pitts Ilustrator Kimberly Pitts

María Paiz

María Andrée Paiz is a multi-talented artist and some might say linguist also. Besides speaking Spanish, English and French with advanced proficiency, she also speaks intermediate Mandarin Chinese and Portuguese. She is also a professional actress and has participated in over 30 theater and musical productions

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María Andrée Paiz is a multi-talented artist and linguist. Besides speaking Spanish and English with advanced proficiency, she is also fluent in French and Portuguese and understands Mandarin Chinese. She is Regional Advisor for the Guatemala chapter of Society of Children's Books Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) and the lead illustration expert for the Guatemalan Collective of Scientific Illustration. She is a professional actress and has participated in over 30 theatrical and musical productions. She participates in two art cooperatives, Niñas Furia as a workshop leader and is an active member of Limonada Bandida. María holds a Bachelor’s degree in Graphic Design from Universidad del Istmo (UNIS) of Guatemala and a Master’s degree in Audiovisual Communication. She attended the Oatley Academy where she studied painting and drama. Chita, the Famous Chicken from Toto/ Chita, la famosa gallina de Toto is her first illustrated book and the 2004 International Latino Book Awards Bronze medal winner for Best Children’s Fiction Picture Book- Bilingual. See more of her work on Instagram.

María Andrée Paiz es una artista y lingüista polifacética. Además de hablar español e inglés con un dominio avanzado, también domina el francés y el portugués y entiende el chino mandarín. Es asesora regional de la sección guatemalteca de la Society of Children's Books Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) y principal experta en ilustración del Colectivo Guatemalteco de Ilustración Científica. Es actriz profesional y ha participado en más de 30 producciones teatrales y musicales. Participa en dos cooperativas de arte, Niñas Furia como tallerista y es miembro activo de Limonada Bandida. María es licenciada en Diseño Gráfico por la Universidad del Istmo (UNIS) de Guatemala y tiene un máster en Comunicación Audiovisual. Estudió pintura y arte dramático en la Academia Oatley. Chita, the Famous Chicken from Toto/ Chita, la famosa gallina de Toto es su primer libro ilustrado y el ganador de la medalla de bronce del International Latino Book Awards 2004 al mejor libro ilustrado de ficción infantil bilingüe. Puede ver más obras suyas en Instagram.

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