Additional information
by Aida Salazar (Author), Molly Mendoza (Illustrator)
The remarkable true story of Jovita Valdovinos, a Mexican revolutionary who disguised herself as a man to fight for her rights, told by her great-niece, award-winning author, Aida Salazar!
Jovita soñaba con poder usar pantalones como sus hermanos Ramón y Luciano.
Cuando su padre y sus hermanos marcharon a la Guerra Cristera a luchar por el derecho a practicar libremente su religión, ella quiso ayudar. Entonces sobrevino la tragedia, y Jovita se vio obligada a cortarse el pelo, ponerse pantalones y continuar la lucha. Disfrazada de hombre, se puso al mando de un batallón que la siguió sin dudar.
Jovita dreamed of wearing pants like her brothers, Ramón and Luciano.
When her father and brothers joined the Cristeros War to fight for the right to practice religion freely, she wanted to help. Then tragedy struck, compelling Jovita to cut her hair, put on pants, and continue the fight. Disguised as a man, she commanded a battalion who followed her without question.
Author Biography
Molly Mendoza is an American illustrator and comics artist who has been captivated by the relationships that she has built with friends, family, and foes alike over the course of her life. Molly sets out to emulate those relationships through her chaotic yet rhythmic style to make some dang-good drawings. Alongside personal/observational narrative, Molly enjoys making images of space travel, plants, ladies, and small dogs. Frequently she can be found working on editorial projects, making comics/zines, and eating hot dogs. Molly is a BFA graduate from the Pacific Northwest College of Art. She has gone on to develop a rich personal art practice, self-publishing numerous comics, as well as working with clients such as The New York Times and The Atlantic. She wrote and illustrated the Ignatz and Eisner Honor-winning graphic novel Skip (Nobrow) and illustrated Freedom We Sing by Amyra León (Flying Eye Books). Molly currently lives in Portland, Oregon. Visit her at mollymendoza.com.
Aida Salazar is an award-winning author and arts activist whose writings for adults and children explore issues of identity and social justice. She is the author of the middle-grade verse novels The Moon Within (International Latino Book Award Winner), Land of the Cranes (Amricas Award Winner), the picture book anthology, In the Spirit of a Dream, and the picture book biography Jovita Wore Pants: The Story of a Mexican Freedom Fighter. She is a founding member of Las Musas, a Latinx kidlit debut author collective. Her short story "By the Light of the Moon" was adapted into a ballet production by the Sonoma Conservatory of Dance and is the first Xicana-themed ballet in history. She lives with her family of artists in Oakland, California.
