Simon Silva was born in Mexico and grew up in the fields of California as a migrant laborer before earning an A.A. degree in Art and a BFA in Illustration. He paints to capture and share the beauty of his Mexican culture. His work has been shown extensively throughout the world and he has recently done a cover for Time Magazine and a book Jacket for Gary Soto's Jesse (Harcourt). His children's illustrated books include Alma Flor Ada's Gathering The Sun (Lothrop, 1997) and Francisco Jimenez' Mariposas (Houghton Mifflin, 1998). His posters and greeting cards are in shops throughout the US.