From Books to Animation: Exploring Creativity with Edward Dennis!

We had the amazing opportunity to chat with Edward Dennis, a talented Mexican-American artist, storyteller, and animator, who has worked with brands like Disney and Sesame Street. But what truly sets Edward apart is his passion for weaving bilingualism and Hispanic heritage into his stories.

During our interview, we dove into his journey and talked about his books, The Boy From México and The Boy From México Becomes a Farmworker, which came out this year.

When asked about what inspired him, Edward shared how his personal experiences, family stories, and his time as a Special Education teacher in Phoenix all played a huge role in shaping his books.

His favorite part? Bringing his family’s rich history to life through his illustrations and words —making every page filled with pride and connection to his ancestors.

One of the coolest things about Edward’s work is how he integrates bilingualism. He writes in a way that reflects how he grew up speaking, blending both English and Spanish!

His books include a glossary to encourage young readers to explore new words in both languages, opening the door to bilingualism in a fun and relatable way. He even hints at including his family’s indigenous language in future projects!

Edward believes that the stories of Hispanic families deserve to be told and celebrated. He encourages kids to embrace their heritage, no matter the challenges they may face, and to remember that they are part of a rich legacy filled with art, architecture, and agriculture.

Read the full interview and meet Edward Dennis! 👇

Hola, Plaza familia! My name is Edward Dennis and I’m an Author/Illustrator, Animator, Game designer and painter.

What does HHM mean to you?

To me it’s a time to celebrate heroes and victories within the culture and the work they’ve accomplished in the U.S and abroad. A time to enlighten other communities and our own of what we have done and are going. 

What’s your favorite thing about illustrating books and writing books that celebrate Hispanic culture? Is there a fun part you always look forward to writing and illustrating?

I think my favorite thing is the ability to drawn on personal experiences and family stories. This really does empower me to use an endless pool of knowledge because within me I carry stories from many of my ancestors generations. Within that It’s almost a sense of pride that I take with every letter type or line drawn. 

What inspired you to write "The boy from Mexico" series?

I was inspired by the children I worked with when I was a Special Education teacher in inner city phoenix. They really were the driving force as well as my mother. The actual content of my book was inspired by my family’s stories of the fields and border crossings they went through.

How do you incorporate bilingualism into your books, and what benefits do you see for children learning both English and Spanish? 

I try my best to write my books as I grew up speaking as a child. Even now my Spanish is better than when I was in 1st or 3rd grade but since I’m writing for children I try to keep my books more Spanglish. At the end of my books are a glossary so that my books hopefully interest them in learning a new language. My family also spoke an indigenous language so I also try to incorporate that in my book and they’ll be heavily used in my future works.

How do you involve community or family stories in your work to create a deeper connection to Hispanic heritage for children?

If you read my books family is always the central part of the stories. I try my best to let the reader know how important it is and my favorite pages of my book involve my character reflecting on his family. 

How would you encourage other kids who want to follow in your footsteps and embrace their heritage?

This is a tough question because as a child who was a dark skinned Mexican-American I very often found myself in classrooms where I stood out. I have dark eyes, hair and skin and I was always questioning my own appearance or heritage, sometimes in a negative way. Even now I still struggle with some of these aspects.

But present day Edward is very proud of his appearance and culture. I grew up in an area that wouldn’t let me Spanish at school. Even today kids are seeing negative comments and news stories about their people. 

I would say to them that they are unique and valuable. That their stories need to be told because our people come from a rich history of agriculture, architecture, art. That they might not know it but they are part of that history just like I discovered.

Gracias Plaza familia see you next time.

Get to know Edward Dennis, author of The Boy From México, and dive into his inspiring stories of resilience and culture—discover more at The Boy From México!

Follow Edward Dennis on Instagram

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By Lily Hagen is a foreign language educator, bilingual parenting expert, and founder of

Lingo Plaza, committed to nurturing linguistic and cultural growth in young minds.