Janet Balletta is a mother, bilingual K-2 teacher, and promoter of multicultural books with good values. She is a native New Yorker of Colombian and Puerto Rican descent. Janet holds degrees in Elementary Education and Educational Leadership. She is a member of the Florida Writers Association, Saint Lucie County Reading Council, and Latino Literacy Now. Janet is the winner of the Mariposa Award from the International Latino Book Awards for her children's book “The Legend of the Colombian Mermaid” translated into Spanish as “La Leyenda de la Sirena Colombiana.” She lives in Florida with her husband and hopes her books will inspire children to develop an appreciation for multicultural literature.